Artichoke Heart
by pluushie
Summary: When the shinobi world was brought to peace, they had both lost their place in Konoha. Perhaps it was his equivocal nature, or her congenial tendencies. Either way, they were just two unhappy strangers living together.
1. Arrival

**Note:** If I owned Naruto this shit would be canon.

Long live SasuHina.

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Artichoke Heart

Chapter 1: Arrival

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Earnest opalescent eyes searched dark black pools for truth, for answers. A lithe white hand clutched the doorframe and the other lingered on the doorknob. The man before her cast a long shadow over her figure, and he donned all black clothing complete with a black, high collared cloak. He eyed her disdainfully, _condescendingly_ , despite being on her doorstep, in a forest just beyond the security of Fire Country's borders, where the former Hyuga heiress had found solitude and peace away from the nightmares that resided in her hometown.

In that sense, they must have been similar.

Despite her obvious discomfort, the man remained resolute in his stance, seemingly unwilling to be sent away.

She found her voice suddenly, and it quavered with shock. "S-Sasuke-kun, is that you?"

His onyx eyes narrowed at her. "You are... The Hyuga girl."

She realized then that they had never been formally introduced. She straightened her spine, managing to suppress the panic that was erupting within her. "I am Hinata."

He suddenly looked past her, seemingly to look within the small house. She shifted slightly in attempt to obscure his view, earning herself an annoyed glare.

"Why are you out here?" He questioned blankly, regarding her like a King would a peasant.

She shrunk underneath his intense gaze, though her voice was stronger than she showed: "I've lived here since the war ended."

"That doesn't answer my question," he returned tonelessly.

"It d-doesn't matter. What brings you here, so late at night...Sasuke-kun?"

There was a long pause. It seemed that he was considering her question, as though he himself were not entirely sure. Moments later, he spoke again, "I have completed my task."

Although her and the Uchiha had never been particularly close in their childhood, news of what had happened after his defection from Konoha was akin to legends. The one individual who could rival the hero of the shinobi world, the person who was considered the "other Hokage", was now nothing more than a wandering nomad, aimlessly traversing the lands on his own personal mission. It had managed to reach everyone in Konoha and perhaps beyond, to other villages. News of Sasuke's continued absence in Konoha after the war, news of his elder brother's heroism, but then nothing. Sasuke had never bothered to report back to the Seventh Hokage about his important mission, though he had amended his relationships with those that cared for him.

And despite being strangers, Sasuke had approached her, of all people, in the middle of the night.

She nodded slowly, warily apprehending his presence, "I...I don't know what you want from me, Sasuke-kun. It's late, and...if it's about your mission, you should report to Hokage-sama"—

"I don't intend on returning to Konoha."

She eyed him reproachfully, hand clutching the knob tighter. "Sasuke-kun"—

"Do you have a spare room?"

She blanched, looking at him with disbelief. "Excuse me?"

He frowned, looking past her again, seemingly impatient. "You heard me. I need a place to stay. I am no longer an enemy to Konoha."

"Konoha is"—

"No longer my home, though my alliance lies with the village. It was the path that my brother had chosen for me, and a path I will not stray from. However, I cannot return."

Hinata felt her stomach twist in her stomach, "Did you know I was here?"

Sasuke remained impassive. "Maybe."

"I"—

A flurry of emotions washed over her. Memories of watching Team 7 from afar, wishing so badly to be close to Naruto and cherished as he did his teammates. She regarded the enigmatic man that stood before her.

They had more in common than she had realized.

Wordlessly, she took an automatic step backwards, relinquishing the hold she had on both the doorknob and the doorframe. She stepped aside, hands resigned at her sides as Sasuke entered her home.

He gracefully passed her. Her floors usually creaked beneath her weight, but he soundlessly removed his shoes and began to roam. The house consisted of little. Upon entering, an open concept kitchen was viewable with basic appliances. A small round dining table consisted of four chairs, separating the kitchen from the living room. A small sofa faced a small television set, separated a fair distance with an ovular coffee table in between. The walls were devoid of any sort of decoration. There was one small hallway consisting of four different doors.

"Ah... that's the laundry room," Hinata stopped him before he could explore the first room. There were three more doors. One, he found, led to a bathroom that was joined to the master bedroom. The other door led to a much smaller guest bedroom, consisting of nothing but a twin bed, a desk, and a chair. In the corner stood one quaint lamp.

He noticed that, although the house was small and sparsely furnished, not one speck of dust seemed to have collected on any particular surface, and the house smelled faintly of lavender and flowers.

Despite the feminine scents, there was nothing about the décor that suggested a woman inhabited the house by herself for so many years.

It led Sasuke to wonder how and why she had ended up there to begin with.

"What are your plans, Sasuke-kun?"

His gaze flickered to her form momentarily, and he spoke softly: "I've not made plans this far."

Hinata stiffened. He catatonically stepped into the guest room; wordlessly removing the small bag he carried to discard it to the floor. He sat on the bed, which squeaked softly as it absorbed his weight. He kept his gaze cast low, apparently waiting for her response. Hinata shifted uncomfortably, fingers twisting the fabric of her nightshirt.

"I know what that feels like," Hinata confessed gently, taking a small step forward so that she was in the guest room. Her gaze softened on him. She took a deep breath. "You can stay here...for as long as you need. I'm always by myself here. No one visits me, and I don't visit anyone. I have my own garden, and I grow my own vegetables. There's a small village that's fifteen kilometers away, and I go there for things I can't grow. There... isn't much here. I have electricity, and you can watch TV but I don't have a phone or a computer or anything...fancy like that."

Sasuke looked up to her, expression mildly enthralled. A faint smirked crossed his features, and he spoke, "I thought you weren't a talker."

"When you go for weeks not talking to anyone, you tend to want to socialize more, no m-matter who the company is."

He twitched when she stuttered, wondering how long it usually took for people to lose their speech impediments from their childhood.

"How can you afford to live here?"

Hinata smiled listlessly. "The rent is practically free, but I worked hard to make this small house livable. I have money saved up from my years as a Jonin in Konoha."

"Your clan no longer supports you?"

"No, they do not."

The mention of her family seemed to bother her, and this only made Sasuke want to pursue the subject more. Why would the most prestigious clan let the eldest daughter of the main branch live as an outcast? It was obvious, at least to Sasuke, that she was not the heiress. Either she had relinquished the position, or it had been taken from her. Either outcome was just as interesting. However, she had somehow been classified as a Jonin, and even had enough money saved up to retire in solitude, completely independent from her clan's wealth. The notion was impressive.

Sasuke watched as she continued to uncomfortably fiddle with her shirt, seemingly avoiding eye contact or wishing to end the conversation. Ultimately, she chose the latter, bowing her head awkwardly and bidding him goodnight. Without another word, she departed from the room, but not before shutting the door gently behind her.

Sasuke had simply stared after her.

The following morning, Hinata was awake by 7:15 a.m. She had been anxious, and resultantly received little to no rest. Hinata found herself pacing back and forth in her room, teeth nipping at the insides of her cheeks with worry—What did it mean that Sasuke was at her house, and what did it mean that she had offered her home for _free_ to him, for as long as he needed?

It had been true that she lived frugally and comfortably, and his presence really would not have too much of an impact financially. Not only this, but Hinata had detested the isolation she had faced for so long, and yearned for a roommate, a _friend_.

But to have the Uchiha turn up with no notice, and to have accepted him so willingly, almost unconditionally, as a dependent in her life...

Her actions were questionable. They had never spoken to each other their entire lives, and suddenly she trusted that they could live alone together, even if just temporarily?

Hinata rubbed her eyes from where she sat in bed, though her doubts swirled within her, twisting in her stomach and weighing her down. Sasuke should not be with her. He should go back to Konoha. He could have stayed with Kakashi, with Sakura and _Naruto_...

She rubbed her temples, consoling the oncoming headache. No—if Sasuke had wanted to go back to Konoha, that is what he would have done. Yet she found him on _her_ doorstep. And how or why he had stumbled upon her small, secluded home when some Konohans did not even know such a place existed, was a mystery.

Uchiha Sasuke had always been a mystery, yet not one she had ever thought to indulge. She had always preferred Naruto, whose intentions and goals were so obvious, because he made sure everyone knew.

But this man was Naruto's best friend. And if he was precious to Naruto, he was precious to her.

And that was all the reasoning she needed.

She unwillingly rolled out of bed, bare feet meeting the surface of the cold hardwood. Hinata rose to her full height, stretching her arms over her head. She shuffled towards the door that attached to the bathroom, but when she rattled the knob she found it had been locked. She frowned. Her first instinct was to activate her Byakugan, but instead, she opted to press her ear gently against the door.

The sound of rushing water was suddenly evident, then a yank of the shower curtains.

Breathing a sigh, Hinata withdrew her face from the door, crawling back into bed. She waited patiently for twenty minutes—the shower eventually silenced. Then, she heard the hallway door open then shut firmly.

He had forgotten to unlock the door that led to her room.

Withholding a suffering sigh, Hinata shuffled outside the bedroom and emerged into the hallway, and entered the bathroom from there.

Once she had finished washing up, she shuffled into the kitchen to find a very comfortable Uchiha at her dinner table. He donned nothing but loose, grey cotton sweatpants and a towel draped around his shoulders. His hair was longer than she remembered, and hung in wet spikes around his head. He had made himself coffee.

Uchiha Sasuke was at her dining table drinking _coffee_.

The very notion was bizarre. And unsettling.

Hinata flushed pink as her eyes cascaded over his shirtless form, and she immediately tore her gaze away, busying herself with pouring a cup of coffee for herself.

"Good morning," he muttered brusquely, watching her impassively as she sat across from him, her own coffee in hand and red-faced.

"Good morning," she greeted back awkwardly. His skin was almost as fair as hers, and he was covered with scars, some gashes alarmingly larger than others. "Do you...have clothes?"

He seemed to have noticed her fixation on his chest, and allowed himself a smirk. "I have some."

"You're covered in scars."

Sasuke was taken aback that she had been so bold to speak her mind. But there were many things about the woman before him that did not resemble the vapid girl he recalled from the past. "Isn't everyone?"

She was not, though she said nothing. She recalled the many times she had seen male ninjas shirtless—almost all of them had scars, though not this many. She wondered vaguely if she were supposed to bear scars, as a representation of her bravery and suffering. Perhaps it had something to do with her being the former heiress, or perhaps it was due to her weakness.

"Do you ever return to Konoha, Hinata?"

She shivered at the way he spoke her name. "No. I haven't since I have moved here."

"Why?"

A pause. After a few moments of consideration, she answered: "My reasons for not going home, are similar to yours. I just... don't belong there."

Sasuke gave slight nod, approving her answer. "Ah."

"Do you ever talk to Naruto-kun, or Sakura-san?"

For a moment, he actually bore an expression on his usually vacant features. "I haven't seen either of them since the war ended." He paused briefly, then met her eyes, "You and Naruto never got together, then."

Hinata blanched, wondering if the pain she felt showed on her face. She never possessed the stony demeanor that Hyugas were notorious for. She had a tendency to show everything she felt. Not because she meant to, but because she had no such ability to hide how she felt.

Sasuke knew he had stricken a cord the moment her face contorted to reveal devastation, despair, and even self-loathing.

"No," she said slowly, then added carefully, "Though... he and Sakura-san have had their first child."

She had said it in attempt to get a rise out of the Uchiha. However, the man across from her merely scoffed, leaning back in his chair, appearing slightly amused. "Good."

 _Good?_

"You never... returned Sakura-san's feelings?" Hinata could not help the surprise in her tone, eyeing him with dismay.

He shook his head. "What was different about her?"

Hinata's jaw slackened slightly, and she clutched her coffee cup. It had been years, but Hinata could recall that Sakura had grown beautiful, with her natural pink hair and large emerald eyes framed by thick lashes. She was taller than most girls, with a more athletic build. She was confident, smart, and she was _strong_ —strong enough to be denoted as Tsunade's successor. It was true that Sasuke had his pick of any girl in the village, but Hinata was sure that Sasuke was not blind enough to realize that Sakura _was_ different.

Sasuke read her like a book. "It doesn't matter what she had to offer me. I knew I had first pick, and I didn't want her."

 _First pick_.

Sakura had always been Naruto's first pick.

At least she was someone's.

"It's true," Hinata said sadly, sipping at her coffee cup to chase down the lump forming in her throat. "It doesn't matter now, anyway."

Sasuke continued to stare at her, but Hinata ignored him. After her cup had been drained of its contents she stood, wafting towards the fridge. She withdrew eggs, whole-wheat toast, and bacon. She felt Sasuke's eyes on her, and she glanced towards him.

"I always cook breakfast. You're okay with bacon and eggs, right?"

He nodded.

She turned on the stove, withdrawing some pans from the cupboards. She began frying the bacon first, but then came the matter of the eggs.

"How do you like your eggs, Sasuke-kun?"

She did not miss the faint smile that flickered across his lips.

"My nii-san... always made them sunny side up."

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To be continued

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 **Note:** I promised my sister an epic, so she's getting one! Reviews are greatly appreciated, and I _promise_ this story will have fast updates.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Living

**Notes:** Hey again guys, thanks for the reviews! Really got me amped to start the next chapter right away. School starts in a month, and I really want to finish this story by then (seriously).

Also there was a review that mentioned this plot had been done before, and on that note I'd like to confess: **I write on a whim, with no planning**. Even my _one shots_ go wherever they want. I always have an idea of where things will go, for long stories like this, I always change my mind multiple times before I post a new chapter. Writing is a hobby, definitely not a specialty. I'm in engineering for Christ's sake (probably no one actually reads my bio)

In other words, I'm kind of an amateur D: Hopefully though, you find as much joy in my spontaneity as I do.

By the way, record time update, am I right? ;) Thanks for the amazing reviews, really gets me going! Sending love to you all! And enjoy!

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Artichoke Heart

Chapter 2: Living

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After a week, Sasuke had time to keep track of Hinata's regular activities. She was an early riser—not quite as early as himself, though he had difficulties sleeping, whereas she slept a strict seven hours per night. In the mornings she would greet him and cook breakfast.

If there was anything noteworthy about the woman, her cooking skills suggested she should have been five star chef rather than a shinobi.

After breakfast, Hinata would busy herself with cleaning the entire house, though she respectfully avoided entering the guest bedroom. Not that Sasuke had anything to hide. This took her only an hour or so to get the entire house clean to her liking. Afterwards, she would go on a walk to the neighboring village and return with ingredients by noon, and would cook again. Between lunch and dinner, she would tend to both his and her laundry, work on her garden, lounge in the living room with a book—these midday activities would vary until evening, when she would cook dinner, then shortly after, bid goodnight.

Frankly, Sasuke surmised that she lived the lifestyle of an old lady.

She spoke little in the past week, as Sasuke had anticipated. Perhaps it was because he had been less approachable. Most days he trapped himself in his room with his scrolls, or was in the forest perfecting his jutsus. Either way, when their paths crossed, while she did make an attempt at small talk, she never seemed to want the conversation to deepen.

Sasuke rather appreciated her presence, and equally the lack thereof. He began to understand the advantages that came with living in seclusion like she had chosen. The fresh air and forest sounds were soothing. The small house was proximate to a river where Sasuke sometimes chose to train, and it seemed that Hinata did not mind the walk to the village.

It was interesting to him that she would abandon the lavish lifestyle of the Hyuga for a simple life like this.

It was fairly late in the afternoon on a Wednesday, exactly a week since Sasuke had first moved in. Hinata seemed to be running late from her trip to the village.

He had been situated at the dinner table, a hot cup of tea and a book before him. He peered up at the digital clock on the microwave—1:47 p.m. Hinata usually arrived home by noon.

Though he enjoyed her meals, he always wondered if she made sure to prepare herself three meals a day for herself, or just because he was there. It seemed every meal was filling and substantial—and far too much for a small woman like the Hyuga.

Hinata stumbled through the front door at 2 p.m., announcing her presence curtly and removing her sandals.

He watched her as she heaved several large grocery bags to the kitchen, plopping them on the table opposite from him. She began rummaging through the bags, withdrawing several food items that she did not grow herself, including apples, honeydew, bananas...

"Sorry that I took long," she uttered as she began to store the empty bags beneath the sink. There was one shopping bag remaining, and she gestured towards it, "I um, bought that stuff for you. That's why, well, I needed to ask advice from the man that sells me seeds for my vegetables, and I figured that since you're living here you should have some... manly things."

She seemed increasingly awkward and uncomfortable, and Sasuke remained impassive as he reached for the bag, peering inside.

She had taken the liberty of purchasing basic hygiene products for men, such as deodorant, a few razors, shaving cream, shampoo that did not smell like flowers, his own body lotion—it seemed that she had thought of everything. She had also bought him a clock.

When he held it, she was standing at the sink, rinsing grapes, "I noticed you didn't have one in the guest room. Sorry, I just... well, I've said I don't really have guests."

She seemed to be rushing whatever it was she was doing, much to his chagrin. He sat back, watching as she began assembling a bowl of fruit.

"I wanted to ask why no one visits you, actually."

She didn't cease her motions. She glanced at him, paling slightly, but her fingers continued to hurry. "W-Well... you see not many of my friends know I'm here, I mean, I sort of... ran away."

Now this surprised him. "How is that possible?"

Hinata set the fruit bowl on the table, then wiped her wet hands with an adjacent towel. "I... don't talk about it. Only Hokage-sama knows I'm here."

The Uchiha's expression was inscrutable, and he said nothing as she began cooking rice.

"Are you okay with... hamburger today?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Ah."

Hinata had somewhat grown accustomed to Sasuke's behavior. He was antisocial, opting to respond with "hn" and other low grunts that marginally sufficed for an actual response. It seemed that Sasuke did not have a preference for anything, _besides_ sunny side up eggs and tomatoes. Hinata had adjusted a few of her recipes to include more tomatoes, simply because she enjoyed the appreciation received—no matter how subtle.

Sasuke was also, to Hinata's relief, _clean_. The small house only had one bathroom that they shared. Sasuke always used the bathroom before she did in the mornings, however she had never once caught him leaving a mess, or even a _trace_ that he was there. If not for the fogged mirror and the inherent dampness, she would not have even guessed a man had been there. The only other trace of his presence was his toothbrush. She supposed now that she had bought him a few more things, those too would be in the bathroom, though she did not mind.

She was ashamed to have guessed Sasuke as the slobby type.

Sasuke only stopped reading his book when she served lunch. She set before him a hot plate of rice, a burger, and sliced tomatoes.

She watched as he took the first bite. His expression never showed much, though she could tell just by the way he was eating that he enjoyed her food.

And that was enough for her.

"Let me pay you back," he suddenly said.

Hinata looked at him in surprise. She set down her chopsticks. "I didn't pay for most of this! I mean, when I want different foods I trade what I grow here..."

"But you had to have bought this for me," Sasuke motioned towards the bag again.

"Oh..." She hesitated before nodding numbly. "That would be nice, Sasuke-kun. Thank you."

He shrugged, eyeing the bag once more before digging into his pocket. He withdrew an alarmingly large wad of bills, and set it on the table. Hinata ogled it for a moment, before shooting him a distressed look.

"That's...! That's too much S-Sasuke-kun I can't"—

"No, just take it for now. I haven't paid for anything up until now, and you've been doing mall the errands. I don't know how to clean or cook, so I'm not much help. It's fine."

She swallowed, still eyeing him unsurely. She didn't move to take the money, though she said, "I'll... I'll take it after dinner. Thank you again, Sasuke-kun."

They resumed their meal without conversation. He emptied his plate before her and brought it to the sink. He uttered a quick thank you before disappearing into his room with his tea and book in hand. He had left the cash on the table.

Hinata rubbed the side of her head, eyeing the stack of bills with dismay. Her chopsticks hung loosely from her fingers, she had hardly made her way through half her portion.

All this money, and with seemingly no qualms with just handing it to her.

That would cover her for months!

She was curious why, with all this disposable income, he would not rather have his own place elsewhere. Albeit Konoha was not the place for him, there were many places he could live. But then again, he _was_ an s-ranked criminal at one point in his life. Maybe it was difficult to rent a place with that sort of history behind him. Her shoulders slackened, and she shook her head gently, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear before she continued to pick at her food.

Once she had tidied the kitchen, Hinata wandered towards the couch, plopping herself down contentedly onto the cushions. She sunk into comfort, absently reaching for the remote as she flicked on the television.

"— _Expecting heavy rain throughout the week, winds about 14 kilometers per hour_ "—

"— _Cheap, affordable, with no interest"—_

"— _This is the Hokage, live in Konoha, today we have completed the construction of the extension of the academy, and the Seventh Hokage is here with us today. What do you have to say to the new academy students arriving to their new school this fall?"_

Hinata watched Naruto's bright, smiling face. She smiled wearily. The Hokage cloak suited him.

" _To study hard, pay attention in class, and... yeah!"_

She laughed softly despite herself.

"I didn't know the dobe had his own show."

Hinata didn't look, having grown used to Sasuke's unannounced presence. "Well... it's Konoha news."

"Why do you watch this?" Sasuke asked plainly from behind her.

The cameraman was panning around the new schoolyard of the academy, and showing a few of the renovated classrooms. "It's nice to stay connected to Konoha."

He grunted softly.

Hinata finally glanced over the back of the couch. He stood leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, expression blank as the television colors reflected against his dark eyes.

"The couch has lots of room, Sasuke-kun."

He shot her a slightly annoyed glance, but either way sat next to her on the couch, though on the far opposite end.

Out of nowhere, he suddenly spoke: "You've expanded your garden."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably. Though she kept her gaze forward, her advanced eyesight made him visible in her peripherals. "Yes, I have."

"You're growing more tomatoes," he accused flatly.

She could feel his gaze on the side of her head. "You like tomatoes, and it was no trouble, I like gardening."

"Your field has no animal damage—how?"

She flushed slightly. "I use a jutsu to keep the animals away. It's... sort of cheating. Even the townspeople that I barter with notice how healthy my plants grow. I've spent lots of time developing productive fertilizers, and jutsus that would protect my garden."

He found only Hinata would be so devout to gardening, going so far as to develop jutsus for such a hobby.

Somehow, it was oddly fascinating that she would use jutsu for such a practical purpose.

She ate for free. It suddenly became more reasonable that she could live off of savings for this long.

They resumed watching Konoha news in silence. Sasuke had not seen Konoha for seven years, and watching the news as the newscaster proudly showcased many of the village's advancements, Sasuke found that more things were unfamiliar than familiar. Possibly the only thing that remained unchanged were the giant faces engraved on the cliff, but even then, Naruto's face was a new addition.

Sasuke remained indifferent; expression revealing nothing as he placidly watched the flashing scenery and happy chatter of the newswoman with random figureheads. Hinata, in contrast, could barely conceal anything.

He caught glimpses of a few smiles, some sadness, and even soft chuckles from the girl next to him.

 _Definitely an old lady._

"I can change the channel, if you like," Hinata mentioned, holding up the remote and turning to him.

Sasuke shrugged.

"It's fine."

The next day, Sasuke sat as usual at the kitchen table. He had made extra coffee that morning—the night before, they had stayed up rather late watching movies and hadn't gotten to bed as early as usual.

No further words were exchanged that evening—somehow, they had grown comfortable in silence with one another. Having been accustomed to women that felt the need to constantly chat him up, Sasuke found this refreshing. Women were always more endearing when they were silent, he found, and with Hinata, this was almost always. There was something subtle about her that he could not quite place. When she spoke, he took into account every word, for everything she said seemed to be important. Though a man of few words himself, he found that he had finally met his match with this woman. Decidedly, she lacked the infamy and intimidation factor that he possessed. However, this woman clearly had many secrets.

Sasuke hadn't bothered bringing reading material that morning. He sipped languidly at his coffee, eyes occasionally training towards the hallway that opened into the kitchen.

Finally, Hinata materialized before him, donning cotton pajamas consisting of a long-sleeved button-up shirt and long pants to match. Her hair had been left down and tangled in some places. She wafted by him, uttering a soft "good morning" before pouring a cup of coffee, taking her place across the table.

Her eyes were slightly red, and she rubbed them groggily.

"...You didn't sleep well," he stated blithely.

She shot him a weary look, shaking her head gently and taking a generous sip from her mug. "The, um, thunderstorm kept me up most of the night."

He blinked. Apparently, this thunderstorm had not bothered him. Usually, the slightest sound would alert him to consciousness, but somehow the night before he had slept through a loud thunderstorm like a baby.

"Did you get sleep?" Hinata asked, not looking at him as she added an alarming amount of sugar to her coffee.

He nodded slightly, "I did."

A quick smile crossed her features. "That's good. I'm glad that you don't find the bed uncomfortable."

"Ah."

Sasuke was relieved that Hinata hadn't decided to skip breakfast on account of her waking up late. She quickly produced omelets for each of them, served on rice. Sasuke did not miss how she was rushing to finish her food. Usually, she would wait for him to finish food and wash both their dishes. Today, she left her dishes in the sink.

"I'll do them later," she quickly explained. She disappeared down the hall into her bathroom. A few minutes later, he heard the bathroom lock in the hallway.

Sasuke decided he would take care of dishes for her. The last time Sasuke remembered even helping with the dishes was when he was much younger, and he had helped his mother dry each dish and put them away.

When Hinata appeared again in the kitchen, she regarded the sink with surprise, and then looked at Sasuke.

"Oh, you didn't have to," she said simply, tying her hair up into a ponytail as she began towards the front door.

From where he sat at the table, Sasuke gave a shrug. "It wasn't a big deal."

"Thank you. Also, I'm checking on the garden," she informed him as she tugged on rain boots. "I'll be just outside."

He watched as she put on a sunhat. He glanced outside. It was still cloudy.

"Do you need help?" he offered awkwardly, not quite sure what women did with their gardens. He did not show his relief when she said no, but thanked him for offering.

She was out the door in seconds, and Sasuke watched as she trudged down the steps.

He approached the window, pulling aside the curtain slightly. Hinata's small house was located just beyond the edge of the forest, and there was plenty of open field for her to expand her garden. She had about three 10 square meter plots, one at a slightly higher elevation than the others. He had no idea how she had managed it. Each plot had rich, dark soil, with high grooves of dirt spaced evenly apart. Healthy plants seemed to grow on all three plots. He could see the tomatoes—she had been crouched down, examining each leaf and tending to each plant with care.

It seemed that irrigation in these parts was good—a river ran through the middle of the field, and into the forest, leading towards the village that Hinata frequented. It seemed to rain often enough, but not too often to drown the plants. However, being so proximate to Fire Country, Sasuke did not doubt that winter would eventually roll around. He vaguely wondered how Hinata managed through winter.

It was clear that she could.

Bored of watching her, Sasuke decided to retire to his room. As he was passing Hinata's room, he could not help but notice it had been left slightly ajar, most likely in her rush.

He stiffened, before slowly approaching the door. With a slight push, the door creaked open. Hinata's room, despite being the master bedroom, was no more remarkable than his own. It was only slightly bigger. She had a twin bed in the corner, next to the window, its sheets white. She had a small side table with a lamp, and a book that had been left open. A clock was also situated on this table. She owned a desk that matched his, though she had books stacked atop it and stored in the shelf built into the desk, mostly on gardening, and some on jutsu theory and history. A bureau stood on the opposite wall, plain and ordinary as everything else. Like the rest of the house, the room was spotless.

He found himself gravitating her desk. There were a few notebooks. He leafed through the one that had been left out—mostly on her garden, her progress, some statistics on the height of her plants, the yield...

He set the notebook down as he found it, crouching down to look through the shelf.

The Uchiha loosened another notebook, this time what seemed to be a photo album. Thumbing through the pages, he saw pictures of the Hyuga Clan standing together, the main house and the branch house as they called it. There were a few pictures of Hinata with her old teammates. What had their names been? _Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, and Kurenai-sensei_ had written in cursive in the corner of the page.

He had found even a picture of himself in there. It actually had a picture of his previous team. Sakura was in the middle, smiling broadly, and Naruto and himself stood on either side, heads squashed underneath Kakashi's hands. Even behind his mask, one could always tell when the silver-haired man was smiling.

"You must think it's strange I had that."

Sasuke turned slowly, remarkably calm for someone having been caught snooping. "Sorry to have intruded."

Hinata shrugged. Her pants had grass stains on the knees, and she was in the process of removing her gardening gloves. Her face was flushed pink from sweat, and she offered him a small smile.

"Well... it's okay. I mean, I don't have many belongings to go through. I couldn't bring much."

She wordlessly crouched next to him. She smelled of sun. She took the photo album nimbly from his hands, absently running her finger across the picture.

"You used to be happy, Sasuke-kun."

He emitted an apathetic grunt in response.

She looked up to him, eyes sad yet guarded, "Do you think you'll ever be that happy or innocent again?"

Sasuke was visibly caught off guard by this question. He had been asked the question many times, though he had never expected Hinata Hyuga to ever ask him such a thing.

"No," he answered surely. "Impossible."

Her eyes trained back towards the picture, seemingly disappointed by his response. "You're right. Why is it... that things can't be as they were before?"

"We aren't kids anymore," Sasuke replied tonelessly. "That's just how it is."

Her head bobbed in a crestfallen nod, and she closed the album and held it to her chest.

His eyes examined her.

She was mourning.

She lived peacefully, needing little, enjoying a simple, quaint lifestyle. He surmised that, although she had been more than capable enough survive out here on her own, it was not a life. At least not the life she wanted.

It became more and more apparent to Sasuke that, whatever she was hiding from was eating at her, day by day, year by year, and her isolation from her past would not separate her from the problems that remained there.

Though Sasuke could not say he _cared_ , he definitely found himself intrigued.

 _Hyuga, what the fuck happened to you?_

* * *

To be continued

* * *

 **Note:** Gushing love? Angry words? Squeal-y nonsense? Critical predictions of what's to come? I love it all. Thanks everyone! This one's for you.


	3. Drunk

**Note:** To _loveawkwardness_ who asked, Hinata _does not_ have a scar from her confrontation with Pein (I really should've considered this before I wrote that in the last chapter. No turning back now). Sorry, friends D:

Anyways, I'm updating _again_. I decided to make things a bit more exciting this chapter. I'm starting to get ideas how the story will end now (three chapters in).

 _Again_ , I love reviews. Anyone posting on this site that says they _don't_ love reviews is a liar. And people that criticize review-hungry people are hypocrites. I won't lie to you. I love reviews. Thanks for all that have been leaving me comments, I actually _do_ read them all, and they make me very motivated to update! Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Artichoke Heart

Chapter 3: Drunk

* * *

By the time mid-November rolled around, Hinata had decided to use a small portion of Sasuke's money to purchase a large, box-like refrigerator.

Sasuke did not find such a large refrigerator necessary. He and Hinata had to move the kitchen table over to make space for it, and the dining area became crammed whereas before it was the right amount of spacious. Not only this, but the fridge that Hinata owned was already above average in size. Either way, Sasuke decided to keep his opinion unvoiced. He had figured that the extra fridge was because of him. Besides, Hinata had it delivered by cart to the house, and had already signed the confirmation receipt by the time he saw it.

"I had to bring in the rest of my harvest," Hinata explained simply. Sasuke watched nonchalantly as she hauled some cabbages into the new fridge.

"I see."

When she had finished stowing away the vegetables that would hold in the freezer, she slammed the lid down, placing her hands on either hip and huffing softly.

The first frost had passed, and the field surrounding the house was tinged a crystalline white, amongst the gold of the tall grass. The forest was a blend of orange, red, and brown. Crinkled leaves descended endlessly in layers that all but buried Hinata's small house. Though Hinata's garden was on the side opposite of the where the forest was, a good amount of leaves had found their way there as well.

He regarded the fluttering leaves with disdain. "Do you need any help with these?"

He flicked his head towards the window, and Hinata followed his gaze towards the tremendous amount of leaves that pooled around her porch.

She smiled politely. "That would be nice, Sasuke-kun. The rake is in the shed with my gardening supplies."

Sasuke nodded, donning a thick sweater as he left the warmth of Hinata's well heated home.

The first snowfall followed within the week, and Hinata frequented the village less and opted to stay home. The season did not deter Sasuke from training, and he was steadfast to this activity at least once a day, three hours at a time.

One session he was surprised when Hinata trudged towards him in her snow boots, donning a ridiculously puffy winter jacket and floppy hat.

"Sasuke-kun, sorry to interrupt... but, I need to go to the village for a few things. Usually, I would go by myself but...I just, I need a few more items than usual."

As in, she was planning on buying more because there were two of them now.

A cloud escaped his mouth as he exhaled. He sheathed his sword, hiding the hilt beneath his dark cape. She seemed pleased when he followed her obediently.

The walk to the village was far by foot, and he kept a few steps behind her. She was taking her time, seemingly enjoying the sparkling white scenery that engulfed them. Sasuke had no preferences when it came to weather. Though, he remembered as a child he had loved the snow.

It took about an hour to get to the village. It was the first time Sasuke had ever gone with Hinata there. To call it a village was modest—it was rather developed with many amenities, including a small hospital, a school, a bank, a few restaurants and stores, and of course, housing. The village was located in a large clearing in the middle of the forest, and it was evident that they had sacrificed a few trees in order to expand their growing community.

When they entered the front gates, Sasuke noticed that there were no guards.

They lived in peaceful times now.

As they walked through the village, Sasuke relished how they received no odd stares. Children ran happily by them, donning full snowsuits. Men and women alike strode their own paths. It seemed the whole world had forgotten his face.

Finally, they entered the grocery store. Hinata insisted on pushing the cart, and also did not seem to trust Sasuke to choose the items they needed.

Sasuke did not see what was so difficult about counting apples.

"Hana-chan, you seem cold today," the elderly woman working cash mentioned lightly, scanning each item with care. "Didn't bring a scarf?"

Hinata shook her head, unbeknownst to the odd stare she received from her companion. "It isn't too cold outside."

"It's your birthday next month, you must celebrate. Come to the village, I'd be more than happy to make you a cake," the lady offered, eyes training towards the tall man that stood a fair distance behind Hinata. He was still staring at her intently.

Hinata seemed to notice the woman's gaze, "Oh! He's... this is an old friend."

 _Old friend?_

"Ah, I see," the woman gave a crinkled smile. "You are a handsome old friend, aren't you?"

Sasuke blinked in response.

"He's shy. Like you," the old lady observed sagely. She finished bagging all of Hinata's purchases.

Hinata paid cash and bowed before departing.

As they exited the automatic doors, Sasuke spoke, "I can carry the bags."

Hinata shot him an incredulous glance. "Are you... sure?"

Sasuke regarded the small woman, looking like a pillow herself with at least a dozen bags hanging from her fists. "...Yes."

She sighed gratefully, having difficulty transferring the bags to his hands. She shoved her hands deep into her pockets, gaze forward as she marched back to the entrance of the village.

This time, Sasuke walked at her side.

"She called you Hana. Why?"

Hinata didn't answer.

"Do shinobi ever come through this village?" He asked, absently taking in the scenery of the small village.

"A few. Even some from Konoha. But they never seem to know me."

"Aren't the Hyuga a big deal? Your eyes are a giveaway."

Hinata shrugged. "I never make eye contact... even if I did, I feel like no one would care."

Sasuke said nothing.

"Without my forehead protector... I'm just a normal woman."

This earned a small scoff. "From what I've seen from you, you're anything but normal, Hyuga."

She looked to him, taken aback, "How so?"

"Normal women could not survive like you do," Sasuke stated blandly. "I'm surprised you've done all this by yourself."

Hinata chewed on her lip, cheeks tinged pink at the comment. "That... means a lot to me, Sasuke-kun..."

"Your birthday. When is it?"

"Oh... December 27," she responded softly.

"Did you... want to do something?"

Hinata shook her head, "Not really."

He responded with silence.

On her twenty-fourth birthday, Hinata woke to a lavender turtleneck folded neatly on her chair.

A small piece of paper read: _Happy birthday._

* * *

The Hokage lay awake in bed, cerulean eyes wearily eyeing the digital clock at his bedside.

9:21 a.m., December 27.

A migraine struck him, and he rolled onto his back, clutching his forehead in pain. His sinuses ached—he had drunk himself to sleep the night before. The spot next to him was vacated. He gingerly touched the mattress. It was cold.

Sakura had gone to the hospital for work.

He slowly rose in bed, figure hunched as he propped his elbows on his knees, still cradling his swirling head. It was then a wave of nausea hit him, and he curdled out of bed and towards the bathroom, retching loudly into the toilet.

He only got like this on this day.

Each year, there was only one day that he set aside from himself, away from his duties as Hokage, which had turned into a demanding 24/7 occupation for him.

Her birthday.

Sakura had not bothered to wake him up, for even she grieved on this day. It infuriated him that with each passing year, less and less remembered. The truth was, the absence of a person, no matter how significant, was something that people eventually accepted. The loss of a loved one, though sad, did not stop the flow of time. As sad as it was, and as difficult as it had been, life went on.

He had been curled up in his bed, when he heard pounding on his front door. He groggily lifted his head, scowling deeply at the sound. He rubbed his temples, managing to leave the comfort of his mattress. Still in his pajamas, he answered the door.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Kiba."

The other man stood sullen on the doorstep, eyes puffy and red with even some purple. The man had not gotten any sleep.

He did not wait for an invitation. The Inuzuka brushed by the Hokage, tossing off his shoes and collapsing onto the inviting couch, groaning softly. Naruto followed his friend's movements, sinking into the cushions next to him, head thrown over the back of the couch.

"It's been years."

"How many?"

"Six."

"That sounds right... six."

Kiba exhaled heavily, chest heaving as he inhaled painfully. "She left when she turned eighteen."

Naruto placed a large palm over his face, trying to suppress the stinging at his eyes and the ache in his chest.

Kiba had his eyes closed, jaw clenched. "Sometimes... I feel like I should have done more."

Naruto peeked at him from between his fingertips. "Kiba"—

"She's really dead, isn't she?"

" _No_ ," Naruto insisted, leaning forward again and pressing his palms to his eye sockets. "She's anything right now. But not that. She's not dead."

"How's her old man?"

"Comatose still," Naruto responded harshly, clearing his throat. "I didn't expect it to hit him so hard. I didn't think the guy felt anything."

"How about her clan?"

Naruto sniffed, "Still Hyuga. Proud bastards. Going on, pretending nothing's wrong. They have replacements, and replacements after that. They don't give a shit."

"Disgusting."

"They stopped their search after half a year," Naruto rasped, pressing harder against his eyes. "They just... _gave up_."

Kiba swallowed, "She's dead to them. They didn't even worry about her Byakugan."

When Naruto finally looked up from his hands, his eyes were swollen and wet with tears. He shook his head, wiping at his face with his sleeve. "I don't know how they do it."

Kiba's contrite gaze fell to the floor, vision blurring rapidly.

"How could she just evaporate like that?"

Kiba shook his head. He had no answer.

Naruto glanced to Kiba. The other man refused to meet his gaze. "The whole damn world can give up. I won't."

Naruto cleared his throat again, leaning back against his couch once more.

Hinata had vanished on the evening of her eighteenth birthday. Naruto had been the last to see her. They happened to be visiting Neji's grave at the same time. He had approached her from behind. He could still picture her. Her hair gleamed in the moonlight, her hands twined behind her back, head bowed as she spoke softly, too quietly for Naruto to catch what she had been saying.

He recalled her outfit. All white. That night she donned a long white skirt, and a white tee shirt. She had not turned to face him, though he had called out to her. She had rubbed at her eyes. When she finally looked at him, her expression had cleared, and she smiled brightly at him as always. If he had not watched her rub fervently at her eyes moments before, he would never had guessed she had been lamenting.

They stood together, side by side, in respectful silence. She turned to him and said something— _God, what had she said?_ Somehow Naruto just could not remember. He pondered over it to that day. Maybe it had been the missing component that would otherwise justify her actions. But as far back as Naruto could recall there had been no buildup. Nothing had happened to suggest that Hinata would run away, without leaving a trace, without notice to anyone.

She had managed to sneak past the tight security and watch of the Hyuga compound, past all the village folk, and past the front guards. By morning, she had disappeared. And the last person who could account for her last appearance was Naruto.

He recalled the furious gazes of the Hyuga. He could not blame them. To this day, he could not bear the eye contact.

Her father had berated him the most. Where was his daughter? Had she said anything to him? Why did he not stop her?

 _Could he have stopped her?_

Questions remained unanswered, and Hiashi could only search for so long. He had reached the end of hope long ago. He had resigned as the Clan head, passing on the title to Hanabi, who had been reluctant, but ultimately, the only choice. Some might have even dared to say before, the _better_ choice.

There was something about Hinata's pacifistic nature. About the way she smiled so easily. Though she had grown stronger, there was an inherent light about her that always made her weaker in the eyes of the Hyuga.

No one challenged her for her right as heiress after demonstrating her strength in the war.

But she seemed to always know the clan's true preferences. It was reflected in their stony stares when she smiled too easily, too much. The way she trained the children of her clan, even. There was a sense of ease, and too much patience for the clan's liking.

And she always forgave.

When she left, she took the warmth from the Hyuga. Everyone noticed her absence immediately. No one laughed. No one played. No one picked flowers with the children.

Hiashi's health deteriorated quickly, until a fatal heart attack struck. Sakura had induced a coma, deciding it would be the only way to keep him alive.

Naruto remembered Hinata as a child. Feeble, innocent, and not as strong as her clan wanted her to be. She had been accused of cowardly, _weak_ , and even selfish at times.

She never had been, in Naruto's eyes.

To Naruto, she became all the things she had hated most about herself the day she abandoned her family and her friends.

He inwardly admonished himself for such thoughts.

Hinata had been presumed dead long ago. Most have tried to repress the memories, but Naruto relayed them as often as he could.

"She's somewhere, Kiba."

Unknown to them both, a small blonde boy sat at the base of the stairs, hardly four, but had overheard the whole thing.

* * *

"Happy new year, Sasuke-kun," Hinata greeted him with a faint smile as he entered through the front door, a blast of cold air arriving with him. He shut the door, removing the hood of his cloak and whisking it off, hanging it on an adjacent coat rack.

"It's not even midnight yet," he returned flatly, removing his shoes and setting them aside neatly.

Hinata did not mind his snarky remarks. She enjoyed their banter, although it was usually short-lived. She turned from him, bending to withdraw a bag from the lower cabinet. When she stood to her full height again, it was clear what she had bought.

"...You bought sake."

She flushed, "I thought you might like it. I don't know. Don't men... drink on occasions like this?"

He snorted, "Not alone." He paused, eyeing her sharply. "Unless you'll have some?"

The Hyuga responded by raising her free hand defensively, flabbergasted by the suggestion, "No, n-no I don't drink at all."

"You won't get drunk off a glass," he deadpanned.

"Um..." Hinata withdrew a large bottle from the paper bag, setting it on the table. "I'll have a little bit."

This satisfied Sasuke enough.

Sure enough, they settled on the couch together, flicking on the television to Konoha news. Of course, their hometown was bustling with excitement on New Years Eve. A festival had been arranged, and everyone crowded around the Hokage tower for the countdown.

Hinata and Sasuke each had a cup. Sasuke watched her sip at her drink from the corner of her eye. She had her knees together, her cup resting on her lap. Her gaze was fixated on the television, absorbing the action.

Sasuke languidly sipped at his sake.

" _Now, we will start the countdown for New Years!"_

The camera displayed all the Konoha civilians. Some even donned kimonos and yukatas beneath their heavy winter coats.

A colossal digital clock was displayed, and some of the civilians onscreen began the countdown from sixty.

" _60, 59, 58"—_

Hinata glanced to the Uchiha. He had been in the middle of pouring himself another cup.

"What do you usually do on New Years?"

Sasuke smirked slightly, "Drink."

" _46, 45, 44"—_

"Sorry for... the pathetic New Years," Hinata suddenly stumbled. "Maybe... you'd choose to be out. At... a bar, I don't know. Sorry there's not much here."

"This is fine."

" _28, 27, 26, 25!"—_

"What do you do on New Years?"

Hinata clutched her cup tighter. "I just... I stay at home. Watch this program."

"Hn."

" _19, 18"_ —

Hinata set down her cup. Sasuke watched this motion from the corner of his eyes.

"I called Hanabi Hana sometimes," Hinata admitted softly, head lowered slightly. "She... liked it. She always thought she was boyish, and... being called Hana made her feel pretty."

" _10, 9, 8, 7"_ —

"She grew out her hair... and I helped her pick flowers before. Things changed when I became heiress. She wouldn't let me call her flower"—

Hinata was silenced by a pair of lips on her own.

The kiss had been quick and chaste. She had been so stunned, she remained still for several seconds. In the background, Konohans cheered, having completed the countdown at some point during her sentence. The newscaster passionately greeted the viewers happy new years, and cheerful music played as the commercials began to roll.

Hinata brought her hands to her lips numbly. Beside her, Sasuke had already reverted to normal. He sipped at his sake as though nothing had happened.

"People kiss on New Years," he justified indifferently, glancing at her.

Her face was a shade of puce. She gave him a mortified look. "Sasuke-kun, that"—

"So that's why you introduce yourself as Hana to the villagers, because of your sister?" Sasuke derided flatly.

When she said nothing, Sasuke turned his gaze to her. The tips of her ears were red, and her jaw was set firmly. She stared at her hands, which were clutching her pants.

"That was your first kiss," Sasuke surmised.

Her silence only confirmed his thoughts.

Maybe Hinata had been a little... weird. Sasuke had suspected she never had a boyfriend. He presumed however, at _least_ , she had been with a man. At least once.

 _Guess not_.

"Twenty-four years old, and never been kissed? Don't tell me you were saving it. That'd be a little cliché, for someone like you," Sasuke mumbled the last sentence, taking a larger swig from his cup.

Hinata swallowed the lump in her throat. "Cliché... w-what do you"—

"Sorry about that," Sasuke apologized insincerely. Suddenly, a sly smirk crept along his lips, "Without my forehead protector, I guess I'm just another man."

Hinata was appalled.

Though she could not be sure if it was because he had stolen her first kiss, or because had thrown her line back at her.

Sasuke was trying to lighten the mood.

The heat from her face would not fade. Sasuke seemed disturbed by her silence.

"Are you crying?"

A small, sardonic smile touched her lips, and she looked to him then. Her face was red, but her eyes were miraculously dry. "I haven't cried in years, Sasuke-kun."

He remained silence, his dark eyes fixed on her expectantly.

Hinata breathed out. "Sometimes... if you just keep crying... and feeling sorry for yourself..." Hinata paused to swallow. "One day, I wanted to cry, but then I couldn't—couldn't bring myself to. I guess you would not know what I mean."

Sasuke inclined his head slightly, but said nothing. Instead, he topped off the liquid in both their cups. He placed her cup in her hands, and nudged it with his own.

"Happy new year, Hinata."

Hinata watched as the man downed his own cup. After a moment, she boldly drained the glass as he had, mimicking his motions exactly. She set the cup down onto the table, looking to him. He seemed mildly impressed.

"This is really shitty sake," Sasuke remarked offhandedly, pouring himself and Hinata another glass.

Hinata gave a short laugh. "I picked the cheapest, biggest one. I didn't think it mattered."

Sasuke emitted a derisive snort, already sipping at his fourth serving. "If you ever plan on buying alcohol in the future, ask me."

She said nothing. She meekly reached for her cup. She pinched her nose as she took another sip, expression sour as she set down her cup. "I doubt I would trust the taste of alcohol after this."

Sasuke switched channels, changing it to an action movie instead. They had missed the first part of the movie. Sasuke hadn't cared for a movie, but did not feel like watching Konoha News any longer. They watched the film in silence, and Sasuke only vaguely followed the plot. From the corner of his eye, he watched Hinata take sips of her cup. Her face was flushed, though he discerned no longer from embarrassment. He kept refilling their cups.

The bottle was emptied.

"Fuck, I'm drunk," Sasuke suddenly announced, leaning back into the cushions and tilting his head back. He lolled his head to the woman at his side.

Though he had definitely finished a vast majority of the bottle, he was pretty sure Hinata was intoxicated as well. She looked at him as though she was surprised he was still there.

"I... I think I am too," Hinata mumbled, her hand pressing against her cheek as she closed her eyes, leaning back. "The room is spinning..."

Sasuke watched as her eyes fluttered open once more. She had nice eyelashes. They were thick, and naturally curled. He tried to recall what other women's eyelashes looked like. He couldn't remember Sakura's eyelashes being that nice. Or Karin's.

"You... make me nervous when you stare," Hinata murmured slightly, hand now obscuring her eyes from him.

"You can't see me."

"I can tell you're staring."

Sasuke frowned, though couldn't bring himself to look away. "Tell me something."

Hinata sluggishly shook her head back and forth. "I don't know."

He scoffed, "I didn't ask anything."

"I... already know my answer then."

"I know you lied about Naruto knowing you're here."

Hinata's hand dropped then, and she stared back at him now, expression muddled. "What... I"—

"Naruto isn't the type to let people run away. He chased _me_ down. He's fucking annoying that way."

Hinata winced at the curse. She shook her head again, sinking deeper into the couch. "I don't"—

"What are you hiding from?" He asked, voice husky as he pushed himself up. He draped an arm over the back of the couch, and she squeaked as his hand found her shoulder, nudging her towards him slightly.

She reflexively moved towards him to get away from his hand, though now they were close enough that she could smell the alcohol on his breath, though she was too disoriented to move away.

The whole room was tilting around her, and her head swam with delayed thoughts and erupting panic. Her stomach swirled, threatening her if she dared to move again. She clutched at her belly, murmuring under her breath as he continued to lavish her with his eyes.

Sasuke brushed her hair from her face. She had her eyes squeezed shut, as if expecting him to strike her.

In her blurred thoughts, she half-mindedly wondered what had led to that moment. Perhaps purchasing sake had been a mistake, though one she could not bring herself to regret. She had never said it aloud to anyone, though it showed; Sasuke's presence had eased the burden of secrecy. He knew who she was, though not well. It was a comfort not to have to hide her identity from him, to just be _Hinata_ to someone.

Despite being inebriated, and without even _looking_ at him, she could feel his hungry gaze on her. She felt that he was stripping her, _peeling_ each layer by layer, so that he could devour her. There was something that Sasuke seemed to _want_ from her.

His desire was so powerful, so _tangible_ to her, that she would just surrender it if she just knew what it was he wanted.

Anything to lift the weight of his stare.

"What... is it?" Hinata all but slurred, turning her face from him.

She felt the couch shift as his weight moved further from her on the couch.

His voice was muffled, presumably by a throw pillow, "Forget it."

At the end, they both fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

To be continued

* * *

 **Note:** Okay, if _anyone_ accuses me of making Sasuke a lightweight, don't even because a _large bottle of sake?_

And he drank _most of it?_

I'm assuming that Hinata is a lightweight. Especially since I picture her as small. I've tried sake (it's gross) and I'm pretty sure I'd pass out if I drank even half a bottle. This isn't like the last time I wrote a story about a drunk Hinata (I was pretty young, don't judge me). This time I've had some... experience, with drinking, let's say.

Anyways, that's not the point. The point is, thank you for those that are following this story, adding it to their favorites, and, of course, _reviewing_!

Love you all!


	4. Reasons

**Note:** Sorry this update took longer than the others. I have a few reasons (which are actually excuses) why it took so long. First and foremost, I had actually _completed_ chapter 4 when I posted chapter 3, but I scrapped it completely after I realized that there were too many holes, and I needed to fill those first before I complicated things even more.

Also, Sasuke has both arms in this fic. Not because I think it matters that he's canonically missing an arm, just because I know I'll forget it at some point and make reference to his "hands" or his "arms". So he has both arms. I'll make more reference to it later.

And, this is probably my fault, but there was confusion on who the kid was. It was probably only obvious to me (since I wrote it) that he's Naruto's kid. So I changed the chapter to say "blonde" before the boy to make it more implicative.

Thanks so much for all the reviews, **I love them. They make me update faster. And I read them all.**

Besides, it's really hard to know if you're doing things right/wrong without any feedback.

Also thanks to _NeonElement_ for calling out some anonymous degenerate that decided to read a Sasuke/Hinata fic when they have some sort of grudge against Hinata. You rock.

* * *

Artichoke Heart

Chapter 4: Reasons

* * *

A pair of white eyes discerned their surroundings. With practiced posture, the newly assigned head of the Hyuga Clan passed the village gates. Hanabi had waited five long years to fully inherit her father's title as leader, and during her wait she had been taught the particular duties, but more so, the attitude that was expected of such a figurehead. She learned quickly that being leader of such a prestigious clan was a form of slavery in itself. Hanabi had all but endured the nights of long council meetings with droning elders, the procedural meet and greets with other clan leaders, and had chaired certain business meetings to ensure the clan received funding.

She had been returning to Konoha from Sunagakure. During such peaceful times, the Hyuga had allowed her alone on the mission without an escort. It was ridiculous to her that she had to travel such a long way to give a blood signature. In an age of technology like this, it was unacceptable to her that they would undergo such old fashioned methods for something as simple as a business contract.

Once the transfer of funds was promised, Hanabi continued her travel home. It had been an easy trip, though a long one. She had been anticipating an opportunity to leave the stiff air of the Hyuga compound.

As she entered the village, Hanabi was greeted with delicate paper lanterns that adorned the snowy streets with light.

It reminded her of her elder sister.

As soon as the thought emerged, she inwardly berated herself. _She's gone, stop it._

She had regrets about her sister's disappearance. Mostly, her lack of involvement. It had not been her choice, as at the time, she was not the leader. While the council and her father made their own presumptions about her sister's disappearance—the possible causes, including kidnapping, defection, _elopement—_ Hanabi could do nothing but sit silently and grit her teeth.

The Hyuga searched endlessly for half a year, sending out waves of ninja into the world in hopes of even finding a lead. However, the elders decided that such a ruckus would surely disturb the peace. To announce that the true Hyuga heiress had gone missing would not only jeopardize the secrets of their Byakugan, but also their image. They worried more about the media than about the safety of their own kind, _her sister_ , no less.

Within months of ending the search for his eldest daughter, Hiashi suffered a fatal heart attack. Sakura had barely managed to save him. Afterwards, Hiashi had been in a coma for five years. After a year at the hospital, the Hyuga arranged for Hiashi to have home care. The expenses were hefty, even for the Hyuga, and as a result, the expansion of business partners was a necessity.

Inadvertently, Hanabi had developed a hatred for the elders, and her clan.

And even deeper, she felt a resentment towards her own sister.

On the anniversary of her sister's disappearance, she wondered if Hinata had even considered the results of her absence? Had she ever wondered the tremendous effects it would have on her father's life, on her younger sister's life?

Hanabi would rather believe her sister dead, than believe that she would willingly put her own family through such suffering.

It was the only way that Hanabi could look back on memories of her sister with fondness.

As the Hyuga leader strode through the village, she relished in the peace that engulfed her. It had been late afternoon, and despite the cold, the village was full of life. Laughing children struggled to roll an oversized abdomen onto a snowman, all the while jeering and enjoying themselves. Hanabi cracked a rare smile, trying to recall the last time someone had actually laughed in the Hyuga household.

She found the village endearing enough, and decided that she would spend the night.

* * *

 _She's smiling in all these pictures_.

The pair had been seated comfortably in the living room. The house was warm, as it was the coldest day of the year. Hinata had initially been going through her photo album. However, she now sat next to Sasuke, contently knitting scarves for them both. Her face was placid, but focused on her work. Her thin fingers moved carefully in a practiced, meticulous system. Sasuke had gotten bored of watching her, which had resulted in him taking the album onto his lap to go through it himself.

He never did have the chance to go through every picture.

He had taken the day off training, though not willingly. Hinata had the weather forecast on that morning during breakfast, and had boldly suggested he skip training. He had initially refused her, but seeing the genuine displeasure on her face had changed his mind.

The longer he stayed there, the more control she seemed to have over him. Sasuke was not sure which was more alarming—her influence or his willingness to comply. Though, the Hyuga hardly demanded anything, in fact, and seemed to fuss over him more than necessary.

Sasuke admitted, at least to himself, that he did not want to upset her. The woman seemed miserable enough, having spent what some might deem their prime years alone living the lifestyle of an old spinster. Sasuke half-wondered what stopped Hinata from adopting a few cats to complete the look.

 _She never smiles like that._

Sasuke slowly flipped each page, dark eyes impassively absorbing the contents of the page and unintentionally committing each image to memory. There was one picture with Hinata holding flowers, donning an impeccably white dress, smiling widely as she stood outside the Hokage Tower. Presumably, this was the day she became a Jonin.

She had not aged a day. Hinata looked exactly the same, yet it was clear to him that the Hinata that existed in the picture was not the woman next to him. It was as though the life that she had once exuded was now trapped in the picture, and the Hinata that was forced to walk the earth was nothing but an empty shell that went through the motions of living.

"I saw you once before," Sasuke mentioned colorlessly, fingertips absently resting on the picture.

Hinata ceased her motions, setting down the almost complete grey scarf on her lap. She looked to him, bemused. "Hm?"

"A few years ago," he admitted tonelessly, "I saw you during my travels, in the Land of Rivers. It was at the curry restaurant. You were getting up to leave. I didn't recognize you. You were... different, then."

Hinata hummed again. "I don't remember seeing you, but I know which time you're talking of. Neji-nii-san..." She paused for a moment, a sad smile marring her features. "He... said it was the spiciest curry he's ever eaten... it was true."

Sasuke said nothing.

Hinata tilted her head, "Do you like spicy food?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I can eat anything."

"I'll make curry for tonight," Hinata stated decisively, picking up her knitting needles to pick up where she had left off. "Sasuke-kun, was it lonely?"

He regarded her blankly. "Ah?"

"Travelling alone for so long. Did you ever... feel sad?"

"I'm... not emotional," Sasuke responded flatly.

"Yes but... your eyes... are sad, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said. Sasuke hated pity, though could see none in her face. Instead, she looked at him with compassion, and even a level of solidarity.

Their eyes matched.

The following morning, Hinata had given him a spare key. She presented it to him in a small, impeccably white envelope. She had soundlessly slipped it onto the dining table, along with his breakfast of eggs benedict. He looked up at her, as though expecting an explanation.

She read him perfectly. "In case you go out to train and I'm not home," she paused, then added, "I don't want you to get locked out."

"Does this mean something?"

She took a seat across from him, placing a napkin on her lap. She did not bother answering his question. Rather, she asked, "Are you okay living with me, Sasuke?"

He snorted softly, already cutting into his eggs. "Haven't I been?"

This answer was more than enough for her, and she smiled as he began to eat.

Once the meal had ended, Hinata took Sasuke's plate from in front of him, and rolled up her sleeves as she began the dishes. From behind her, Sasuke mentioned, "You seem to like the sweater."

Hinata looked over to him, her face dusted pink. "Um. Yes, it's very comfortable, thank you."

"It looks good on you."

He immediately regretted his choice of words when Hinata's blush was visible on the back of her neck. She mumbled something incoherent in response, hands quaking as she fumbled with the dishes. He wondered how little one had to be complimented, in order to react in such a way.

When the Uchiha departed to train, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. The lock clicked pleasantly behind him.

Sasuke committed to his usual three hours of training. He had fallen into a usual routine that consisted of a warm up spar with three shadow clones, some jutsu touch ups, and finally, testing the capabilities of his eyes. When things got too easy, he pushed himself harder. It was becoming more and more difficult to challenge himself when there were no longer stakes or natural enemies for him to face.

By the end of his session, he returned to the house to discover that Hinata was not in the living room, nor the kitchen. He ventured down the hallway. Hinata's bedroom door was closed, and he could feel her presence just beyond the wall. He entered the bedroom without knocking, and was greeted by the sight of the Hyuga woman curled up in her bed, still donning what she was wearing that morning. Her hair was fanned on the pillow, akin to ribbons of silk. Her nose was buried in the lavender purple neck he had gifted to her, her knees and arms drawn to her chest in fatal position. Her breathing was rapid and unsteady, and her eyes flickered beneath her eyelids, apparently dreaming.

He approached the bed, soundlessly drawing her chair from her desk and towards her bedside. He sat next to her, watching her sleep.

There came a point where Sasuke could no longer put up with the disturbed slumber that ensnared her, and he placed a cold hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Oi. Hyuga."

Pale eyes cracked open, looking up at him with unconcealed horror. She buried her face in her hands, mumbling inaudible protests.

"You were having a nightmare."

"Was I?" Hinata murmured, peeking at him through her fingers and adjusting herself so she was partially upright. She rubbed at her eyes. "I don't remember."

He frowned. "Do you have nightmares often?"

She now sat completely up in her bed, still rubbing groggily at her eyes. She ran her fingers absently through her hair, brows furrowed slightly. "Lately... I've been waking up at night. I know I'm having nightmares... or something but... I never remember what they're about."

Sasuke tried to recall a time where Hinata had gone to her room for a nap. No memory of such an incident resurfaced. "Do you want to see a sleep therapist?"

Hinata seemed touched by the suggestion, though shook her head. "I think I'll be fine." Her eyes suddenly widened, and she moved to get up, "The time! Dinner, I"—

"It's only 5 p.m., if you want I'll go to the village quickly."

She seemed reluctant. "Are you... sure? I... I can"—

He snorted, "What, don't trust me to pick stuff?"

"Well, no, I just like to"—

"You don't need to make anything fancy. Make soup."

She exhaled in resignation, "Noodles."

"Hn?"

"I'll make you ramen," she smiled slightly at the odd look he wore, "We have mostly all the ingredients, I just need the noodles. Traditionally, they're homemade but... for tonight, store-bought will do."

He rose to his full height. "I'll be fast."

He swiftly exited Hinata's bedroom. At the front door, he pulled on his cloak and slipped into his shoes. He locked the door behind him and swiftly bounded into the forest. He flew from tree to tree. Sasuke had practically transported to the village, and landed gracefully at the entrance. Though he had managed to get there in fifteen minutes' time, he remained reserved, not tired by the trip.

He had almost reached the grocery store, when suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. His dark eyes inspected the streets—civilians. Yet there was a distinctive chakra lurking in the village, nearby.

Suddenly, he redirected his gaze towards a teashop. He honed in on the building, and the presence only intensified. As he opened the door, a bell chimed overhead.

There was only one other occupant in the small restaurant—a sturdy young woman, donning Konoha's traditional Jonin garb. She sat alone at a four-person table, taking mechanic sips from her teacup. She had not looked up at his arrival, nor did she seem aware of his presence. Her back was turned to him.

Sasuke could not be sure what possessed him to approach her.

Perhaps it was because he knew exactly who she was.

He found himself at the side of the table, looming over her. She looked up to him slowly, expression guarded, though eyes narrowed slightly.

"Uchiha Sasuke-san," she greeted formally. She set down her teacup and stood, offering a curt bow to him. "It's an honor to meet you."

He regarded her disdainfully, wondering how many times she had rehearsed such a greeting. "A Hyuga," he stated simply.

Hyuga Hanabi. Or _Hana_.

He had never seen the girl before, though recognized her from the photo album. She looked nothing like Hinata, besides the shape of her face and the white eyes. Her demeanor was completely different. Nothing about her behavior was genuine. Everything was taught, trained, and perfected. It was obvious why the Hyuga would choose her over Hinata.

The Hyuga before him had an air of aristocratic confidence, and her chakra was strong—much more tangible than Hinata's, albeit, Hinata had been out of practice for many years.

And, unlike Hinata, Hanabi was capable of emulating exactly the sort of leader elitist clans like the Hyuga wanted.

Sasuke let none of his knowledge show, and Hanabi introduced herself. "I am Hyuga Hanabi. I am the Hyuga Clan Head."

The Uchiha gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. "I see. Where are your escorts?"

"I need none," Hanabi responded icily, looking him over. "Still a wanderer, it seems?"

Another silent nod.

Hanabi examined him for another quick moment, before gesturing vaguely at her table. "Good. Please spare a moment and have tea with me, Uchiha-san."

His expression hardened for a moment, but he wordlessly took a seat.

Hanabi beckoned politely for service, and a young man came and brought Sasuke a steaming cup of tea. Sasuke lowered his head slightly in thanks, though made no move to touch the cup before him. Across the table, Hanabi sat with her hands folded neatly on the table, white eyes unblinking as she studied him.

It was strange to him how two women could be brought up in the same household, yet have nothing in common.

"How long has it been since you've last reported to Hokage-sama?"

"I haven't spoken to Naruto since the war ended."

"You speak of Hokage-sama with such familiarity. As expected of his... best friend," Hanabi seemed to struggle with the notion of the man in front of her and the blonde Hokage being best friends. "You are on a personal mission, if I'm correctly informed?"

"Right."

"Do you see a nearing end?"

"I do not."

"You must plan to return to Konoha sometime. How do you expect to rebuild your clan?"

Sasuke glowered at her. She offered a professional, nullifying smile.

"My apologies. I have offended you."

"It's fine," he clipped. "Was there something in particular you wanted to share with me?"

"It was you that approached me," Hanabi reminded him. "You must have sensed me here, isn't that right?"

"It's a civilian village, and in times like these, the presence of any ninja is something I would investigate."

"Fair enough." Hanabi took a sip of her tea. "Have you been updated on village affairs?"

"I don't feel the need to know."

"I would think you'd be well-informed."

"If you have nothing to say, I'll be leaving."

Hanabi raised a hand, as though to stop him. Despite Sasuke's withering glare, Hanabi was remarkably unaffected.

"That scarf..." Hanabi began, eyeing the scarf that Sasuke wore beneath his cloak. He noticed immediately how her conduct slackened, and how her eyes softened.

His expression remained void, revealing nothing. "It's winter."

"Yes, I just—I have one just like it. My nee-sama," the younger suddenly choked, though cleared her throat to mask this. "Excuse me. My sister, she made me one just like that."

He feigned ignorance, narrowing his eyes marginally. "So?"

"You haven't heard then," Hanabi looked him straight in the eye. "You have not heard my sister has been missing for six years?"

Sasuke bore no reaction. He echoed her, "Missing?"

"Spirited away on her birthday," Hanabi said, looking more distressed, eyes never leaving his scarf. "Without warning. That is why," she lowered her voice slightly, suddenly fascinated by her cup, "That is why I'm clan head."

Sasuke scoffed, finally taking a sip of his own tea. "There must be a reason."

Hanabi snarled, "There's _none_."

Sasuke's dark eyes analyzed her. "You're resentful of your own sister."

She scowled. "This is none of your business."

"You've brought it up."

Hanabi clenched her jaw. "Uchiha-san"—

"My brother," he interrupted her seamlessly, "Wanted me to believe he was a traitor. He dedicated his life to convincing me he was evil, so I could kill him, and be seen as a hero. He had his reasons—reasons I would have never found out, if not for the war."

Hanabi did not dare speak, suddenly latched to the Uchiha's words.

"My biggest regret... is doubting my brother's true intentions."

She said nothing, completely still except for her steady breathing.

"You should reconsider your sister's actions. There must be a reason," Sasuke pressed monotonously, eyes narrowed. "Think about it."

Hanabi blinked, looking at the table. "Uchiha-san. I don't know how to tell you this, but there was nothing that would cause her to leave."

Sasuke derided her, "Your thinking is backwards."

She shot him an annoyed look. "How so?"

"Think less of what would repel her. Did she have a reason to stay?"

Hanabi clenched her fists, "Of course she did. Her friends, her family, her future as Hyuga Head! All these things, she simply abandoned. No reason is worthy. I've struggled to reach this point. I've endured the heartache of not having an older sister, the burden of being heiress, and... our father"—

Sasuke watched as the girl choked for the second time that evening.

"Our father is lying on what might as well be his _deathbed_ , and it's because she just _left us_."

Her eyes brimmed with tears—something that surprised Sasuke.

Sasuke watched as the girl abruptly stood, and stormed out of the teashop. He waited for her to disappear into the streets before leaving a crisp bill on the table, and making his way to the grocery store.

 _Noodles_.

Sasuke tried to be as efficient as possible in purchasing the noodles for Hinata's ramen, though it seemed that the grocery store was having a sort of sale. The lines had been long, and although Sasuke was quick on the journey back, the front door flew open as soon as he took his first step onto the porch.

"What took so long?" Hinata's face peered from the crack in the door, before opening it fully. She eyed him, brows slightly furrowed. "I was worried. It's late, and I wanted"—

She stopped talking when Sasuke brusquely brushed by her, setting the large bag of pre-made ramen noodles on the table. Hinata had locked the door, and when she turned around, Sasuke was a few feet in front of her.

"Why'd you leave Konoha?"

Hinata went rigid. "Sasuke-kun, I told you"—

"A real answer," Sasuke interjected, eyes trapping her.

"You know. I can't be there."

Irritated by her trite response, the Uchiha took a step forward. "You're full of shit."

"I don't know w-what you want me to say, Sasuke-kun." Hinata's nails dug into the palms of her hands, and she was visibly trembling beneath his stare. "I c-can't answer you!"

"I asked you before, and you didn't answer. What are you hiding from?"

"I"—

At that moment, Hinata's mouth clamped shut and she closed her eyes for a long moment.

Finally, she whispered, "Why are you asking me these things?"

"I want to know."

"Why do you want to know? What does it matter?" Hinata looked to him beseechingly. "Sasuke-kun, I can't explain"—

"Your father is dying."

Her form went still, and her hands dropped to her sides.

When she remained silent, he continued, "He's sick, Hinata."

Hinata numbly shook her head, "It c-can't be... It cannot be, father is strong, he"—

Her mouth continued to move over unspoken words, before she looked up to him.

"How do you know all this?"

Sasuke took another step. "I met your sister."

Hinata's eyes widened, "Hana... bi? She's here... why? Does she know, does she"—

"I didn't tell her you were here. She thinks I'm still wandering," Sasuke tilted his head down, attempting to get a better view of her expression. "Now tell me, why are you here?"

"What's wrong with him?" Hinata ignored his question, posing one of her own.

"I wasn't told. I was just told he's on his deathbed."

Hinata breathed out, shaking her head again, "It's impossible. It's not true... it can't be true."

"She said she's clan leader because you left," Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You never lost your place as heiress to her. You gave it up."

Hinata now had a hand to her mouth, still shaking her head softly.

"You ran away from being heiress."

Hinata suddenly wobbled, staggering back until her back was pressed against the front door. "Sasuke-kun. You don't know anything."

"Why did you run away?"

"How did you _find_ me?"

Sasuke blinked at the question.

Hinata appeared anguished as she continued, "I... When I knew they were looking for me... I had reflective genjutsu protecting this house. Even though they have long stopped their search, this genjutsu has not broken. The eyes of the Hyuga cannot even see it. You shouldn't have been able"— She gulped. "You shouldn't have found me!"

He responded with a light scoff. "Who do you think I am?"

"I don't know!" She exclaimed, the loudest he had ever heard her speak. She brought her hands to the sides of her face. "I don't know... who you are, how you found me. I... I don't know why"—

Sasuke watched as her knees buckled beneath her. She slid along the length of the door, landing firmly on her rear onto the welcome mat. She held her knees to her chest, not looking at him as he took another step forward, now towering over her.

She had her face in her hands, voice slightly muffled as she spoke. "When I saw you... I felt like I knew you."

She pushed her hair back.

"I lost faith so long ago that I would ever... w-want to be close to another human being. Since... since I made the decision to leave I never wanted..."

The Uchiha slowly crouched in front of her, and she met his gaze with dry eyes.

"It was... like an answered prayer," her voice was barely beyond a whisper. "I can't explain it but... I was... relieved when you came here."

Sasuke snorted. "You really don't cry anymore."

She shook her head. "No."

Sasuke adjusted himself so he was sitting on the floor. "I know these lands like the back of my hand, Hyuga. I've come and gone from this region multiple times during my travels. One time, I noticed a shimmer of chakra in the atmosphere. I wanted to know what it was, and I found your house."

Hinata's breathing was slow, and she looked at him in awe. "There was... a hole in my barrier? That's... impossible, I'd never risk"—

"It could be my eyes. They're far superior to the average Byakugan."

He smirked when she sighed. "It's... such a mystery to me."

"Do you believe in fate, Hyuga?"

Hinata considered this question. "Once... but, fate can change. You can change your fate with effort."

"You won't tell me why you ran."

It was a statement. Hinata bit her lip. "...Not right now."

"Fine. But know this, Hyuga."

Her hold on her knees tightened.

"You're putting your sister in a shitty situation. You may think that you made the best choice for your family. You may think you are helping her. But you're wrong."

Suddenly, Sasuke raised his arm. Hinata screwed her eyes shut, gripping her knees to her chest tightly.

She was surprised when Sasuke suddenly touched his index and middle finger to her forehead in a light poke. When she opened her eyes again, Sasuke was staring at her.

"I don't care if you don't want me to know, but your little sister deserves the truth."

She gasped as strong arms gripped her forearms, pulling her up to her feet with him.

"Go make dinner."

* * *

The Hokage was shaken from his sleep when the office doors opened. Naruto straightened, quickly grabbing a pen, and hunched over the paperwork that was strewn across his desk, his free hand gripping at his forehead in attempt to conceal the red lines on his face that would give away his sleeping position.

"Hokage-sama, I am reporting back."

Naruto had no choice but to wearily look up. It was the Hyuga head, still clad in her uniform. She held her mission scroll, and tossed it to the man. He caught it swiftly with his bandaged hand.

"So your clan must be pleased."

"They are."

"Your father's condition is stabilized, according to Sakura. Though she would like to speak to you about"—

"I ran into the Uchiha."

Naruto was openly surprised. "Really? How is he?"

"He seemed well." Hanabi frowned. "Hokage-sama. I would like to share something with you. It has nothing to do with the mission."

Naruto straightened slightly, propping his elbows on his desk. "Yeah?"

Cerulean eyes watched as Hanabi produced a scarf from her travel pouch. It was unerringly knitted by hand, grey in color. He looked up to her quizzically.

"I'm... not following"—

"This is a scarf nee-sama made for me many years ago," Hanabi took a few steps forward, placing it on the Hokage's desk.

Naruto eyed it for a moment, then looked to her, more bemused than before. "I'm not seeing what your point is, Hanabi."

"The Uchiha wore the same one."

Naruto looked dumbfounded. He glanced out the window. The village was blanketed in white snow. He turned to her again. "Hyuga-san, there are many scarves"—

"Hokage-sama. These eyes did not fail me. I know this scarf. I look at it every day, every season. I know each stitch, I've committed this pattern to memory, and the Uchiha wore the _exact same one_. In the moment, I could not be sure. I did not want to believe it. I had been in shock, and I may have missed an opportunity. He had been so nonchalant. He evaded the topic. He distracted me. I returned home and looked at this scarf, and I know his is identical. He has had no connections to this village, or to my nee-sama. How is this possible?"

The facts seemed to hit Naruto slowly, then suddenly his blue eyes glinted with realization. "That bastard."

He stood to his feet, back cracking as he did so. He looked out his large office window, beyond his village, past the gates.

"He just might know where she is."

* * *

To be continued

* * *

 **Note:** Time to commit to a plotline, hope this works out. Thanks for being so patient about this update, the next one will be faster. Leave a review, I love it! Thank you, hope you enjoyed!


	5. Valuable

**Note:** Okay, I know I said this update would be faster and I lied. I'm sorry. But I still love you guys. I had to think really hard about this chapter, because it's usually in the middle of stories that it either gets really good or starts sucking completely. I had to look up a few things on Narutopedia (lol) because I wanted to make sure I was getting my facts straight :D.

Also, this story isn't going to be very long, most likely 10-12 chapters at the most. So we're almost there guys!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Artichoke Heart

Chapter 5: Valuable

* * *

Hinata inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she hunched over, hands massaging her temples. She then stretched, arms reaching above her. She twisted her head, attempting to wring the knots from her neck.

She had hardly slept that night.

Despite this, she had managed to wake before the sun had even begun to rise. She sat cross-legged in the middle of her mattress, facing her bedroom window. She stared out at the vast white fields, which seemed to stretch on indefinitely beyond her vision. The grey sky offered little to no light, but the white snow seemed to glow in the darkness.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to remember the nightmares that had disturbed her sleep, but to no avail. Hinata was rapidly becoming exhausted. Her hours of rest were shortening—six hours, then five, sometimes four. That night, she was sure she must have at least gotten four hours, yet it felt like even less. During the day, she was futile in her attempts to hide her fatigue from her housemate. But her frequent naps, sleeping in, and her general lack of alertness were palpable, and Sasuke had questioned her multiple times in the past few days.

 _Why aren't you sleeping?_

 _I am._

 _Not enough._

 _I'm fine._

Hinata could not help but lie to him. Partially because she could never be sure if his concern was genuine, or if he was being simply nosey. Ever since his encounter with her younger sister, he seemed to be watching her more closely. Sasuke always needed to know where she was going, when she would return, and he never missed a detail of her day.

It irked her, because Sasuke was confusing.

The Uchiha was no longer the avenger he had been revered as in the past. In their genin days, Hinata saw Sasuke as hungry for power, selfish, and willing to take shortcuts in order to achieve his goals. Now, his onyx eyes were empty and purposeless. Having accomplished peace, all the power, skill, and anger that he possessed was now sealed within him, stirring silently. His soul was barren, unsatisfied, with no direction.

Despite this, the values that had recently begun to manifest were unexpected of a man like him. He himself could be described as sullen, _empty_ , yet he settled for this life, knowing humanity had been saved. For certain this was a recent attribute to his character, brought about sometime during the war.

A few days before, she had pressed him for information about his past. It seemed that he knew so much about her, yet he remained a mystery to her.

Wishing to indulge him, she had asked him after dinner: "Please tell me about yourself."

Hinata refilled his tea, looking to him expectantly. He leaned forward slightly. "Could you be more specific?"

"Your brother," she had said, entwining her fingers together on the table neatly. "What was he like?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, as though in thought. When black pools reopened to rest on her, he said, "He was kind. Gentle."

She tilted her head in interest.

Sasuke continued: "He... seemed to be the only person in my family that was impressed with me. That cared what I did. I wanted to be just like him.

"He was a pacifist. He hated war. He loved Konoha, and until the end, always remained loyal to the village. He sacrificed our clan, and even his own name for the sake of peace. But could not bring himself to kill me. I loathed him. I wanted to kill him. He deceived me into thinking this way. When I discovered the truth, I realized that Itachi had fooled me and outsmarted me like always."

Suddenly, it made sense to Hinata why Sasuke was the way he was. He had changed because of his brother. Sasuke chose to inherit the wishes left behind by his brother, and saw to them himself. When he did not continue, Hinata asked softly, "You love your brother, don't you?"

He nodded remotely. "My brother's memory is what keeps me alive."

"They call you the Shadow Hokage... because you protect Konoha from the outside."

"It's what nii-san wanted for me."

"I'm sure he's very proud," Hinata's fingers tightened around each other.

She had wondered what he truly felt when she said it. His expression suggested nothing. Perhaps he knew it to be true already. He sat remarkably still, eyes still on her. "Do you have anything else you want to know?"

She had pondered this for a moment. Warily, she inquired: "Your parents, what were they like?"

"Father was strict and noble. He wanted the Uchiha Clan to be powerful, and ultimately brought the clan to its demise. Mother was"—

He paused. It seemed he was searching far back into his memory.

"She was a lot like you."

Hinata was not sure how to interpret his words.

Sasuke smirked wispily, "Except... mother smiled more."

At the time, Hinata hadn't known how to elucidate Sasuke's description of his mother. The more she had thought about it afterwards, the more the implications behind the segment grew on her. Assuming that Sasuke thought fondly of his mother, if Hinata emulated her, that would mean that Sasuke thought fondly of her. Was the reminder of his mother painful? Did it bring him joy? Either way, the sentiment was valuable. Hinata apprehended that such a comment coming from someone who prized family as much as Sasuke was significant.

She found herself wondering if she was now an important person to Sasuke. She considered this possibility multiple times since their conversation, and found herself hoping it to be true.

Though her nightmares were persisting, while she was awake, having Sasuke around made her feel safe. Needed.

And she did not want to be alone anymore.

She sighed at her thoughts, unfolding her legs from their position and stretching them over the side of her mattress. She shivered as her bare feet contacted the hardwood floor. Unwillingly, she rose, rounding her bed towards the bathroom door.

She shook the knob. A disgruntled voice sounded from the other side: "I'm washing my face."

"Sorry," she replied, face flushing. "What are you doing up so early?"

She was surprised when the door opened. Sasuke was shirtless, donning only silk pajama bottoms. A small towel hung from around his neck. He was agitated. "You didn't sleep again."

Hinata released a breath, shaking her head lightly, "I'm fine, sorry if I may"—

A toned arm barricaded the entrance into the bathroom. Hinata frowned at the hand that rested on the doorframe.

"I just need to"—

"Go back to bed," he commanded. "It's too early."

"Sasuke-kun, I"—

"Also, just call me Sasuke. The honorific is annoying." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You've been staying up late, and usually sleeping in. It's better you sleep in. You don't need to be up this early."

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Withholding a suffering sigh, she countered, "You always wake up early. And sleep late."

"I've always been that way. This is a recent development for you," he furrowed his brows. "Is something wrong?"

He was trying to pester her again. She averted her gaze to the floor. "No." She reconsidered her answer. "Actually... I've been having... nightmares."

He scowled. "Why? About what?"

"I never remember when I wake up. I don't know." She wondered herself why she was suddenly plagued by the onslaught of bad dreams, night after night.

He suddenly grabbed her by the arm, tugging her slightly. She gasped, stumbling after him as he guided her to her bed, until she was seated on the edge of the mattress. He pulled up her desk chair, settling down. His onyx eyes were fixated her in a hawkish gaze, and she shivered slightly, tugging on the sleeves of her nightgown.

"Sasuke-ku—Sasuke. I don't think I will sleep, even if I try."

The black pools in his eyes swirled into red, and she stiffened. He placed a placating hand on her shoulder. "Relax. I'll put you to sleep."

"Um—Sasuke, why"—

"Shut up."

Hinata clamped her mouth shut, suddenly entranced by the pinwheels in his eyes. She felt her mind go numb, and suddenly she was weightless. The air swam around her and was suddenly the consistency of ocean waves. Consciousness was stolen from her, and she went limp. Sasuke caught her, cradling her head in one hand as he gently lowered it to her pillow. Afterwards, he carefully carried her legs onto the mattress, adjusting her so she was lying comfortably on her back.

He sat back on the chair, eyes discerning her. Five minutes passed, then ten more.

His genjutsu would ensure her a dreamless sleep.

When Hinata awoke, it was already 4 p.m.

She stirred, rolling onto her side. She rubbed her eyes, peering over towards the clock. Seeing the time, she jolted upright, scrambling out of bed. She hurled herself out the door, unceremoniously stumbling into the kitchen, nearly bumping into the gigantic refrigerator.

"How was your sleep?" Sasuke asked, not looking up from his book.

"Y-You did something, you"—

"You look like you slept well," he observed, smirking at her disarrayed appearance.

Hinata blushed furiously, assembling her long hair into a tangled ponytail, securing it with a tie that she wore on her wrist. "You c-can't just—you shouldn't have done that."

"You've got some drool dried up on your chin."

Hinata turned a shade of purple, quickly moving a hand over the bottom half of her face.

He snorted lightly. "You needed the sleep, Hinata."

She was at the sink, splashing water onto her face. She took a paper towel, drying her face quickly. She turned to him, aghast. "The chores, S-Sasuke! I need to"—

"It's all done."

Silence took over the two. Sasuke sipped at his coffee.

Hinata blinked widely at him. "What do you mean... it's done?"

"Yes. If you haven't noticed, it's clean."

Hinata inhaled sharply. Her eyes travelled critically about the small house. There were no dishes in the sink, the counters and stove had been wiped to a shine. The table, besides the book and coffee, was also gleaming in the light. The surfaces in the living room had been dusted, the throw pillows fluffed, and rug vacuumed. The hardwood floors had also been polished.

She redirected her gaze back to Sasuke, who now looked mildly smug.

"Also, there's onigiri in the fridge if you want."

Hinata gaped at him. "You did... all this?"

He scoffed, "Well you were sleeping, and I didn't want you to shit yourself if it wasn't all done. So yes."

"I... But I always"—

"I live here too," he suddenly reminded her, giving her a stern look. "I can do other things, besides give you money."

She stared at him, appalled. Finally, she sighed in resignation.

"Sasuke... thank you."

He stood and poured himself a cup of coffee, as well as one for Hinata.

Hinata remained rooted in place. Her mind buzzed with questions. Why had Sasuke prioritized her sleep so much that he had done all of her chores? Her stomach dropped at the thought of Sasuke having missed something, or maybe he used the wrong polish on the floors, or—

"Oi. Go brush your teeth."

Red-faced, Hinata whirled away from him, disappearing into the bathroom.

* * *

A wall clock ticked obnoxiously, reminding Hanabi of every moment that passed in which no action was being taken to locate the Uchiha. It took all her willpower to sit still, though underneath the table, her leg shook restlessly, and her eyes darted from person to person as they each took their turns discussing the previously closed case of Hinata's disappearance.

It was the first time the Hokage had assembled a meeting for the issue. Very few people were present, and only these individuals were allowed to know of the situation.

Surrounding the table was Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Kiba. Naruto began by briefing everyone on what had occurred, including the new evidence of Hinata's whereabouts as well as Sasuke's involvement. He had asked Hanabi to provide her part of the story. She told them about her encounter with the Uchiha at the teashop, though intentionally left out their argument, including the part where she had stomped off before pressing him more about his scarf.

Shino should have been involved, however, due to his position at the academy the Hokage felt it was best if he was excluded. To involve Shino would mean finding a replacement, and also making an excuse to account for his absence. The group concurred with Naruto's decision.

Naruto had attempted to track down the Uchiha's last known location, in hopes that someone had seen him more recently than Hanabi. This had been a process on it's own. Several days before, Naruto had sent personal, confidential letters to each of the kage requesting any information on the Uchiha's whereabouts. He had waited for a response before holding a meeting. Only the Tsuchikage had responded, reporting a sighting of the Uchiha two years ago, though he had only stayed a few days, and continued his travels shortly after.

The information was invaluable, and Naruto had wasted several days on it. It frustrated Hanabi that they would not just send Kiba's dogs or even Kakashi's summons to the village that she had last been in, but with the snow and the recent storms, Sasuke's scent would be muddled, if not completely gone. Not only this, but the dogs would only have a vague source of his scent to go by, as only Sasuke's childhood clothing remained in Konoha, and he had not worn those in years.

And ultimately, Naruto and Sakura greatly doubted that Sasuke would have remained in the village longer than a week.

And by now, with all of the delay, Hanabi was certain that the hopes of finding the Uchiha again was dwindling, with chances slimming to none.

"He didn't mention to you where he was going, did he?"

Hanabi snarled, "If he had, I would have _mentioned_ that by now. I am not understanding all this preamble. We have known since I've returned that my sister is alive, that Sasuke-san knows, and no one has even left the village!"

Sakura raised a hand. "Understand, Hyuga-san, that we have no way to contact Sasuke-kun right now. Just looking blindly for him will accomplish little, and will cause a disturbance."

"But I know where he last was. Maybe someone there has seen him, maybe"—

"That will cause exactly the sort of disturbance that we don't want. This is a civilian village, and Sasuke-kun is a former missing-nin"—

"People know by now he has brought peace"—

"We can't make the assumption everyone knows. It takes long for news like that to travel, and the war is a distant memory for some. You'd be surprised how ignorant some people are. Gossip is a concern, and Sasuke-kun is ultimately a Konohan, and _that_ is something we need to consider before we allow everyone to slander his name," Sakura said firmly. "We do not want to make a big deal out of this. Ultimately, this is about finding your sister."

The silver-haired man had been mostly silent the entire gathering, though he finally spoke up: "I agree with Sakura that was must handle this search with finesse. We cannot lose sight of the goal, and must not allow people to think that something is amiss. In particular, if it ever gets let out that Sasuke knows where Hinata is, the Hyuga may think he kidnapped her for her Byakugan." Suddenly, his eyes rested on Hanabi. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Hanabi?"

The clan head stiffened, scowling as she realized his predictions were likely correct. Knowing the barbaric, conceited minds of the elders, they would surely attribute the whole situation to their precious eyes, and their secrets. And with Sasuke's previous track record, it would be difficult to divert their thoughts, despite Sasuke's renewed loyalty to the village.

"It may still be worth it to check out this village," Kiba piped up, fingers contemplatively holding his chin as he focused on the world map that was opened on the table. "We know he was in that tea shop. We can get a fresh whiff of his scent there. The snow will have washed the traces of where else he's been outdoors, but at least we can get a recent record of what he smells like now."

"Yeah, but then what, we just go from village to village, going inside random buildings and sniffing for him? There's snow almost everywhere, and it's been coming down for weeks," Naruto emitted a gruff grunt, brows furrowing as he stared intently at the map. "Maybe Suna. No snow there. If he crossed the border, we'd get him"—

"That's _if_ he's in Suna. Sasuke-kun's travels have no pattern, there's no way to confirm he's going to Suna"—

"I think we're missing the big picture here."

Everyone turned to stare at the masked-nin. His eyes rested on each of the occupants of the room in turn, before finally looking to Hanabi.

"When you mentioned to Sasuke that Hinata's missing, he didn't react. Sasuke would not withhold information on a missing Konohan—his alliance lies with us. Hinata encountered him, obviously alive and well enough to be knitting scarves."

Suddenly, Kiba pondered aloud, "And...why the hell is she knitting him a scarf anyway, she doesn't even know the guy."

"Clearly she was with him for some time, endearing him enough to give him a parting gift. From all this, it can be deduced that Hinata simply does not want to be found, and Sasuke was simply honoring that desire," Kakashi concluded.

His eyes challenged the others in the room for an argument. No one spoke.

Hanabi snapped, "Why the hell does it matter if she doesn't want to be found? She has duties here! Her home is here! Her family is here! She can't just"—

"She committed no crime. She has _no_ duties here, as her duty as heiress was passed to you with no penalty on her part. The cursed seal is only bestowed upon men, correct?"

Hanabi gritted her teeth, "I _want her to come home_. I will drag her back here if "—

"Hanabi," Sakura suddenly spoke, voice tender, emerald eyes meeting hers, "Your sister made a decision on her own. She's... probably happy."

"And it's not really worth disturbing the peace your clan has made with the situation," Kakashi added.

Hanabi looked desperately to Kiba and Naruto. They each looked gravely contrite.

"I want to see her again too, but..." Kiba trailed off, looking towards Naruto. "I'm just happy knowing she's alive."

"I knew she was alive," Naruto firmed. "If she's happy... I don't want to ruin it."

Hanabi gawked at the Hokage. "She is one of your people, you can't just disregard her as an outsider!"

"She is one of my closest friends," Naruto corrected her, eyes narrowing and voice escalating. "The last time I saw her, she was sad! She was always sad before she left. I don't know why, or how, and no one else seems to know but the point is, if she's happy, that's good enough for me, and goddamn it, it better be good enough for you!"

The room fell silent, and Hanabi quavered with rage.

At the end, the first meeting regarding Hinata's reopened case had resulted in closing it once more, this time concluding that Hinata was out there, happily knitting scarves for people she hardly knew.

But Hanabi had never been the type to give up.

Upon returning to the Hyuga compound, she immediately summoned a branch member to get in contact with Hana Inuzuka.

By 5 p.m., Hanabi found herself outside the Inuzuka compound. She had been allowed entrance past the gates, and waited at the main doors for Hana to meet her.

The Inuzuka woman slid open the traditional doors, looking at Hanabi with slight concern.

"Hanabi, what is the emergency?"

"This has to remain between us. Do you swear on it?"

Hana seemed hesitant. She peered around. Finally, she exhaled. "Fine. Let's go to my lab. It's safe to talk there."

She motioned for the younger woman to follow her. Once they were inside, Hana walked purposefully through the halls, then down to the basement, where her lab was located. However, Hana did not stop at the lab, leading Hanabi to a room that she revealed to be her office. Once Hanabi stepped inside, Hana shut the door softly behind her, gesturing for her to take a seat in the chair in front of the desk.

Only when Hana settled down in her own office chair, did she ask: "What's the matter?"

"I require a ninken from your clan," Hanabi blurted.

Hana blinked widely at her. "A... dog? Hanabi, I'm afraid our dogs are only to remain within the clan. They're meant to stay with their partners for life."

"You have many puppies, surely one of them you can allow me to adopt," Hanabi persisted earnestly. "I require your clan's heightened senses. I am tracking down an individual."

Hana rested her chin in her palm. "Well... we did have a litter born a few months ago."

"Yes, please let me adopt one. Or name a price, I'll pay it."

The older woman pressed her lips firmly together in thought. "Who are you tracking down?"

Hanabi took in a deep breath.

Without thinking, Hanabi told Hana everything. She began with the mission to sign a contract in Suna. Then, she told of her confrontation with Sasuke, and described the situation about their matching scarves. Finally, she told Hana how they had abandoned the case yet again, on the grounds that Hinata was happy and her happiness should not be tampered with.

She included that Kiba was also part of the morning's meeting, and it was essential that their conversation remained a secret from him.

In the years that Hanabi had been preparing to take on her title as clan head, she had grown close with Hana. During exchanges between other clans and various functions, Hanabi would choose Hana's company, and they would have long conversations about their responsibilities. Hanabi had opened up to Hana more than once about her feelings regarding Hinata's disappearance, and Hana had always been a good listener. In contrast to the rest of her clan, Hana was extremely compassionate and gentle, without a feral bone in her body. She had been easy for Hanabi to approach, and she valued Hana's wisdom.

But now, the older woman seemed torn.

"Hanabi, what of your clan? You can't just leave them."

"The last contract I sealed guarantees the clan millions, and if I request a personal leave just to take a break, how can they refuse? I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm sure I can find him."

Hana seemed unconvinced. "Your trip will take several days, and then include the time you'll be hunting Sasuke down. It could take a couple of weeks."

"I give myself two weeks," Hanabi said firmly. "Two weeks out there, then I'll come back. At a later time, I'll try again. I won't give up."

Hana looked at the much younger woman despairingly. The determination in her white eyes was immutable.

"If it were Kiba... I'd be doing what you're doing..." Hana admitted softly. She reclined in her chair, head lowered in thought. "Ginta."

Hanabi clutched at the fabric of her pants. Her heart pounded.

"He's Ginta. He's very young, but intelligent. I'll introduce you."

* * *

Sasuke had decided to take Hinata to the village for dinner. The woman was clearly drained from sleep deprivation, and Sasuke really only knew how to make a few things, yet nothing worthy for dinner. Especially when juxtaposed with Hinata's exemplary cooking abilities, Sasuke deemed that going out to eat would be the best option.

Hinata had protested.

"It's expensive to eat out."

Sasuke shoved her coat towards her. "I have money."

She gave him an indignant look as she held her jacket loosely in front of her. "I can just make something quickly. It's not necessary"—

"You need a break," Sasuke interjected reproachfully. When she made no move to put on her jacket, he pulled the jacket around her, jostling her arms into the puffy sleeves as though she were a ragdoll.

Hinata peered down at herself in her puffy jacket and boots. She tugged on her sleeves, which were uncomfortably crumpled at her elbows. "Sasuke, it's"—

"We're going."

He did not wait for a response as he opened the door, guiding her out by her arm and locking the door behind them both.

Freshly fallen snow crunched beneath their feet, and Hinata reveled in how the snow glittered in the moonlight. Sasuke had released her arm, but she kept his pace, walking alongside him as they entered the forest.

He had gone at a faster pace than she would preferred, and by the time they reached the village Hinata had built up an appetite.

She blushed beet red as her stomach growled.

Sasuke simply glanced at her. "What do you feel like eating?"

Her eyes travelled over the illuminated signs. The village was rather beautiful in the evening. Orange light spilled from the windows of the buildings, and street lanterns lined the streets.

She turned to him. "Barbeque."

He seemed a little surprised.

She smiled meekly. "I never barbeque."

Abiding by her request, Sasuke located a barbeque restaurant in the heart of the city. It was rather busy, as it was the popular sort of restaurant where the food was cooked right in front of you. Tantalizing smells filled the air as they stepped inside, and immediately a young hostess arrived at the front desk to greet them. She donned a simple black yukata, presumably their uniform.

"Good evening!" She beamed at them, already grabbing two menus from the stack. "For two? We are a bit busy, we have one table left over there."

She gestured to a table in the corner.

"That's fine," Sasuke answered her when Hinata did nothing but peer at him.

The hostess flounced towards the table, and Hinata and Sasuke followed behind. Hinata looked at the other customers. Some had finished their meal, and were chatting over drinks. Most tables were mid-meal, too consumed in eating to notice Hinata's stare.

It all looked so good.

When they were seated, Hinata was eager to order, already opening the menu.

When she saw the prices though, she grimaced, looking towards Sasuke.

"If... We can just"—

He merely scoffed, his own dark eyes scanning the menu critically. "What are we going to do, walk out? It's fine. Order whatever you want. I'm paying."

A waiter greeted them, a teapot and two cups on his tray. He served them their drinks, provided them a list of specials and recommendations, and then withdrew a pad of paper and a pen from his apron.

Sasuke looked towards her expectantly. She flushed, realizing that he expected her to order for him.

She quickly flipped through the pages, pointing at different items that she wanted. Each time, she looked up to Sasuke for approval.

"Just order lots," he said simply.

She complied. A chef brought a variety of meat, each marinated differently. He set each on the grill in front of them, and each piece sizzled satisfyingly once it contacted the surface. Hinata watched in awe as each piece darkened to perfection.

She wondered if she had been drooling, as Sasuke was eyeing her with slight amusement from across the table.

Once everything had been cooked, the chef bowed, inviting them to eat and bidding them a good meal. Hinata had been the first to reach with her chopsticks, picking up a large piece of pork.

"It's so tender," she commented as she took her first bite. "And the vegetables and rice are included!"

Sasuke emitted a grunt, "Expensive places can afford to do that."

Hinata did not respond. Her mouth was muted by a sweet potato.

"I like your vegetables better," Sasuke mentioned suddenly.

Hinata glowed at the compliment. "Thank you."

They resumed their meal. Hinata felt herself slowing down. Sasuke did not seem to be wavering, still mechanically eating the sweet beef as well as his rice. He had also finished half of the vegetables.

When he finally put his chopsticks down, all the food was gone. Hinata gaped at him.

"You can... eat a lot."

Sasuke seemed like he was going to say something, but their waiter interrupted them.

He seemed pleased that all the food had been finished, and began to collect the empty dishes. "Everything went well for you two?"

Hinata nodded exuberantly, while Sasuke emitted a soft grunt.

"Just to let you know, we are having a promotion next week on Valentine's Day. My name is Takahiro, request me as your server and you can have twenty percent off your entire meal." The waiter produced a pink coupon to them, with his name sprawled on the back. "There won't be reservations taken that day, so you should come early!"

With that, he disappeared into the kitchen with the dishes.

Hinata stared at the coupon between her fingertips, then a wave of heat washed over her.

"He thinks... oh, he thinks we're"—

"Together?" Sasuke completed her sentence for her, taking a sip of his tea. "So?"

"Th-That's... That's not right, Sasuke. We can't accept this coupon."

"People take their mothers out for Valentine's Day. It's just another day. And it's a discount. So what if he thinks we're a couple."

The Hyuga was appalled. "You're... _okay_ with him thinking we're a couple?"

Sasuke shrugged. "We're not related and we live together. I can handle being accused as a couple."

Hinata's face was a shade of maroon by the time the waiter returned to them with the bill. Sasuke paid cash and included a generous tip.

"You tipped him so well," Hinata mulled as Takahiro went to the cash register.

"Do I come off as cheap?"

"No, not that, just... why?"

"He gave good service. And a coupon."

Hinata nodded subtly. "So this means... we will come back here? On Valentine's Day?"

"It's a twenty percent discount."

Hinata almost laughed at how adamant he was on receiving the discount. But she was too concerned. "Won't it be... weird?"

"Why would it be?"

"Since we're not actually... a c-couple?"

He glowered at her for a moment, before finally exhaling. "Fine. Let's go on a date."

Hinata blanched. "W-What... Sasuke"—

"Not now. On Valentine's Day. I'm asking you in advance. Now it won't be weird."

He seemed satisfied enough by her stunned silence. He smirked.

"Relax."

Hinata seemed to ventilating, taking slow breaths. Her blush faded slightly, and she took a sip of her tea. She pressed her hands against her cheeks, something Sasuke noticed she did often.

"Sasuke, I want to ask something."

"Ah?"

Hinata swallowed, fingers curling around her teacup. "Do you... have you dated lots of women?"

His expression was inscrutable, and he inclined his head slightly. "Maybe."

Her blush darkened again. "That... doesn't answer much."

He smirked. "Fine. Yes. I've dated a few women."

Her shoulders slackened. "Were you... serious, with any of them?"

Sasuke seemed disturbed by the notion. "No."

"So you've... you've done things... with them," her voice seemed weak with discomfort, and she shifted her weight on her chair. "Would you say you're... experienced?"

Sasuke was extremely amused by her interest. His dark eyes burned her. "Would you like to elaborate?"

There was something about Sasuke's behavior that was affecting her. He wanted her to continue on the topic. Hinata could count the amount of dates she'd been on with one hand, but even with the limited experience she'd had with the opposite sex, Hinata had a strong conviction that the Uchiha was attempting something.

 _Is he... flirting with me?_

Hinata loathed herself as heat crept up her neck again. For a moment, she feared she'd pass out.

She calmed herself, taking a sip of her tea.

"Have you had a girlfriend before?" Hinata inquired.

Sasuke's answer came quicker than she'd anticipated. "No."

"Really?"

He frowned. "I just said I wasn't serious with anyone."

"But have you..." she trailed off, face burning. "Have you... _done_ things... with"—

She was surprised when Sasuke covered her mouth with his hand. "Enough. Shit, your face is on fire. Are you alright?"

For the second time that evening, Hinata brought her hands to her cheeks, pressing firmly. "I'm fine."

"Why are you interested in my love life?"

Hinata moistened her lips, carefully wording her response. Honestly, she wondered herself why she was asking all these things. "You were always popular with girls back then. I was surprised actually... that you're single."

When Sasuke kept staring at her, she continued.

"Also... I'm surprised you're asking me on a date." Silence. "I'm not... I mean, you're just"—

She caught herself stumbling on her words. She took a breath.

"It's just for the discount, right?"

"You're not ugly, Hinata."

She blinked. "What"—

"Actually," the Uchiha cut her off, giving her a critical once over, "You're attractive."

The woman across from him practically hid behind her hands. "Stop it."

"Really," he drained his cup, then stood. "Let's go home."

Hinata nodded numbly, her legs wobbling as she stood.

They did not speak again until they had entered the forest. The winter night was deafeningly silent. The only noises were the sounds of their boots as they plodded through the snow, and their breaths.

He had spoken first. "Did you like the food?"

Hinata smiled. "Yes, it was delicious."

"Your cooking is still better."

She laughed a little at that. "Thank you."

She nibbled on her lip, chancing a glance at the tall, raven-haired man at her side.

"Sasuke. I wanted to... thank you."

"Hn?"

Hinata looked at him again, and found that he was looking at her. She snapped her gaze forward once more, face warming.

"For everything you've been doing for me. You've been... kind to me."

A light scoff. "You've been babying me this entire time. It's the least I can do."

It was his way of saying _you're welcome_. And also his way of thanking her.

She was surprised at the joy that bloomed inside her, encasing her heart with warmth.

"I... you're important to me, Sasuke," Hinata confided. She slipped her hands into her pockets. "Am I... important to you?"

He gave her look that made her feel incredibly stupid.

"Obviously."

* * *

To be continued

* * *

 **Note:** Did you love it? Hate it? Let me know!


	6. Truths

**Note:** For those that are still reading this from 3 (?) years back, thanks for your patience. This has been a WIP for a long, long time and I think that it's time to finish this up. Thanks for your patience, your PMs, your reviews, your favorites - everything! I really hope this meets your expectations, and hopefully this summer is the summer I finally get this story completed!

* * *

Artichoke Heart

Chapter 6: Truths

* * *

Her pearl eyes narrowed disdainfully at the pup before her. The wolf was indeed _young_ , just a few months old, equivalent to a human child at around late Academy age.

Ginta. Ginta was his name. And although Hana had assured her that he was a prodigy, it seemed that it would be his first expedition outside of Konoha's borders. It was also apparent that he viewed the whole ordeal more as training rather than a serious undertaking.

And it irked her.

 _Beggars can't be choosers_ , Hanabi thought darkly as she cleared her throat. She adjusted her pack around her hips, and loosened the knot that held her cape in place. She lowered herself carefully onto one knee next to the young wolf, who had his snout up in the air, his long ears flicking slightly as he sniffed.

"We're just about to cross the border," Hanabi told him.

"I know," he returned, slightly miffed. His silver fur was slightly damp—they had been trudging through snow for the better part of the morning. She could see agitation in his blue eyes. "I know what I'm doing."

"Okay," Hanabi quipped, pressing her lips together as she tore her gaze away from him, towards the path that stretched ahead. "The Land of Waves is just beyond. We won't go quite that far—just up ahead is the village I was telling you about."

"My Clan is familiar with it."

"Yes. Your siblings would have travelled here many times," Hanabi murmured, trying to conceal the bitterness in her voice.

 _This will work. Beggars can't be choosers._

"You really think your sister is here?"

The Hyuga Head scrunched her brows, shaking her head gently. "Not sure… just a feeling. Finding my sister right away would be asking too much. Instead, we look for the Uchiha. His scent is more distinct. You still remember that compound we visited?"

He nodded. "Yes. But… wouldn't his smell have changed since then?"

"Possibly. I was at a tea shop a week ago. I remember where we sat. You should be able to pick up a faint scent, to see if it had changed much but… unlikely."

"Okay… why are we stopped? Let's go."

"Hold on," Hanabi said. She reached into her pouch and withdrew her identification. "I had to be careful. I bribed one of the branch members to lend me their ID. I told my clan I was taking personal leave. The Hokage knows where I _want_ to be and if my Clan finds out I lied and they tell the Hokage well…"—

"You're screwed. I get it. But let's hurry. It's gonna get dark."

She shot the wolf another short look before rising to her full height again. She flicked her chin, beckoning for him to follow. They approached the border guard, who curtly took her ID. He gave her and the wolf a quick once over, regurgitated a policy, and allowed them entrance past the Fire Border. Hanabi quickly tucked the documents back into her pouch and quickened her pace. Ginta trailed shortly behind.

"Are you chasing a lead?"

"No," Hanabi said. "There's no mystery here. The Uchiha has the answers."

"Answers," Ginta echoed. "What answers do you mean?"

The Hyuga leapt onto a tree branch. Ginta pounced after her. His paws slipped, and he staggered for balance.

"The Uchiha is not an enemy," Ginta stated. "But you've been talking about him like he's the bad guy."

"He's withholding information. That's as good as a lie," Hanabi spat, narrowing her eyes as she leapt from branch to branch. Ginta followed clumsily, but kept up nonetheless. "Hana is the only one who understands."

"Hana-nee-san…" Ginta echoed softly from behind. He sniffed contemptuously. "If it weren't for Hana-nee-san, I'd _never_ offer my help to an outsider."

Hanabi shot the wolf a dirty look but remained silent. She suddenly raised a hand, landing abruptly on the ground below with a muted _thump_. The wolf remained just a step behind, ear twitching as he awaited a signal. She shivered at the contact with the fresh snow that engulfed her boot. The snow was past her calves, almost knee-height. She trudged toward the path again. Ginta clumsily pounced in and out of her footprints, though they weren't quite large enough to ensure his pelt remained untouched. Once they were at the village gates, Ginta's fur was caked in snow, much to his chagrin. Hanabi attempted to keep a dignified posture as she brushed the snow off of her cloak and pants.

To her surprise, there was actually a guardsman manning the front village gates. It then dawned on her that on _that_ particular day, there was an actual calendar holiday.

The guard quirked a brow at her. Her shoulders slackened as she confirmed that it was not the same guardsman that had seen her previously. "Good evening."

"Good evening," she returned. She glanced up at the village sign: _Tsurui._

"Hm," he hummed as he glanced at her identification. He quirked a brow. "Hyuga Clan?"

Hanabi could tell he had never heard of her clan, and the notion relaxed her. "Yes. I'm here as a tourist," she said. She gestured to the wolf at her side. "This is my puppy."

"Ah," he said. He knelt slightly to pat the pup on the head. "How old?"

"A few months," she said, smiling at Ginta's wagging tail. "First time outside of Konoha."

The guard nodded, a good-natured smile playing his lips. He allowed them entry, adding: "There are plenty of events still going on tonight for Valentine's Day if you're interested, miss!"

She waved over her shoulder.

Once they were out of earshot, Ginta prodded her boot with his muzzle. "Do you even have a boyfriend?"

Hanabi scowled. " _No_. Of course not. Clan leaders don't have time for that sort of stuff."

She peered around at the many pink and red decorations that seemed to be almost littering the village. She could not help the annoyed frown that tugged at her face. Valentine's Day had _never_ been a holiday she cared about. Konoha was in a similar state of madness over the occasion, and many women had allowed themselves to get caught in the undertow.

"What did he mean Valentine's Day events," she muttered under her breath. The Hyuga head was almost stomping down the streets—and no longer to shake the snow that still clung to her garments.

The small wolf continued to peer this way and that, fascinated by the unfamiliar surroundings. "It's a nice village," he speculated lightly. "There's more people than I thought."

Hanabi regarded the passing faces. It was nice—almost _comforting._ It was the sort of ease that could never be felt around her own clan. That distinct, always unattainable feeling of just being another person, another face, another human being amongst a crowd was something worth relishing.

As Hyuga Head, everyone looked her way. Even if the decisions were not all hers, she was ultimately the face of the clan, the last line of defense, the _scapegoat_ for everything and anything that could go wrong. It was difficult— _so_ difficult—to be a leader.

 _Heavy is the head that bears the crown_ , she thought glumly with a pang of guilt in memory of Naruto's admonishment to her in the meeting room.

She was certain she was doing the right thing. _She was right_. And though she remained resolute in her actions, it was difficult still to go against the word of the Hokage.

The kind leader that did nothing but bring prosperity and peace to the ninja world.

Indeed, it would bring nothing but shame and contempt for her to be discovered in Tsurui looking for her defected sister, but it was something she needed to do.

"Shit," she said suddenly, stopping.

Ginta stopped just before colliding into the heels of Hanabi's boots. "What?"

"The cafe is so crowded," she muttered, flicking her chin in the direction of a tea shop just a few meters ahead. A line stretched from the door, and from inside boisterous conversation was clearly audible. All the restaurants and bars seemed to be at their capacity that evening, much to Hinata's chagrin.

"I wish we could've left sooner," Hanabi grumbled, looking down at the pup. "Now what? Will it be any good to go in there?"

Ginta shifted uncomfortably. "There's so many scents here. It'd be hard to pick out one."

Hanabi tsk-ed. She frowned again at a pink sign that was propped up against the window of the tea shop: _Valentine's Day Special._

"Such a stupid holiday."

* * *

"I'm worried about my father."

Onyx eyes darted up to look at her over the table. His brows furrowed slightly.

It was the first time she had engaged in conversation with him that day.

In the morning, Sasuke had woken up early to train. The heavy snowfall over the last week had prevented him from training. When he returned, Hinata had been out of the house, presumably in town. When she returned, the sun had long set and she had disappeared into her room.

The week had gone by quickly, and it seemed Hinata's sleeping problems had been mitigated, as far as Sasuke could tell. She seemed to be falling back into her usual routine, and, falling back into her usual distance. They still talked, but their conversations had become more practical than personal. At times, she seemed to be lost in thought, and other times, she seemed to be too focused on whatever she was doing to be interrupted.

Across from him, her heart rate quickened with trepidation, and she inhaled sharply. Her fingers curled on the tabletop. "I've been trying to black it out of my memory." She paused. "Hanabi… what she told you about our father. I've been trying to forget."

She did not dare meet his gaze, instead keeping her own pearl eyes settled on the untouched spaghetti in front of her.

"I told you I did not remember my nightmares. And I wasn't lying. I mean, I didn't remember exactly what they were about, but I know that even before you met Hana-chan that my father was in my dreams. Even before… even before _you_ came here, he was always there. And it's almost like… a premonition, to me. It's just so strange that all these things are happening at once and, it has to mean something, doesn't it?"

It was difficult for him to follow what she was saying, though he listened. Her voice quavered only slightly as she spoke, and her tone was barely above a whisper. He managed to catch every word, and for a moment her last question lingered in the air.

She expected an answer.

With a calculated breath, he finally said: "What is it you think you need right now, Hinata?"

It was then she finally managed to look at him. She was confused by his question. "What?"

"What do you think you should be doing?"

"Is—Is this all connected? My father being in my dreams… you coming here, my sister meeting you, you being… with _me_."

"If fate can be changed, then it's up to you."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Up to me?"

He nodded once.

Hinata gave him a despairing sort of look before grasping soundlessly for her fork. With small movements, she began to fiddle with her spaghetti noodles, resting her chin in her free hand. She shook her head. "i don't think I know. I'm… I'm afraid to make the wrong decision."

"Everyone makes mistakes."

The retort came effortlessly—a little too quickly, as though he anticipated what she would say. She nibbled on the inside of her cheek, shaking her head again as she lowered her eyes.

"I think…" she swallowed, "I know I've made too many."

"You haven't."

"I have," she whispered as she began to swirl the spaghetti noodles around her fork, though not with an intent to eat.

Sasuke's eyes seemed to glint, and he relaxed his posture slightly, leaning back in his chair. For a few moments, neither spoke.

The former heiress seemed to be avoiding the man's gaze as much as possible. She played with her food for only a few moments longer before resolving to finally take her first bite. A few long minutes past where she ate meekly, taking slow bites of her food and several sips of tea in between forkfuls. All the while, the Uchiha seemed to be studying her, not touching his own food.

She was about halfway done her own portion before she finally set down her fork, giving him an exasperated look.

"What is it?" He asked.

"…The coupon," she said, bringing one hand to her mouth. "I forgot."

He blinked widely for a moment. Slowly, a small smile tugged at his lips—it was almost a smirk, but not quite. It was a _real_ smile.

"It's fine," he said, shrugging as his expression neutralized once more.

Seeing him smile caused Hinata to react with one of her own before she continued her meal.

Sasuke joined her.

Sasuke cleared his dish before hers and brought it to the sink. He leaned against the counter, watching as she continued to pick at the last few bites of her food.

"Did you eat breakfast?" he inquired tonelessly.

She shook her head. "I wasn't hungry when I woke up."

"Did you go to the village?"

She stiffened, setting down her fork. "No… actually. I actually just went on a walk."

He frowned slightly. "Why? It was snowing in the morning."

She shrugged her shoulders, looking to him apologetically. "I needed some fresh air and it was pretty with the snow. I know the area well."

"You didn't leave a note."

"Neither did you."

He scowled.

She allowed herself a small, placating smile. "Sorry. I… I should have let you know somehow. Actually, I'm surprised I didn't run into you." She continued when he remained silent. "I walked along the river at some point, where you usually train."

"I trained in the forest this morning."

She nodded vaguely. "I see… so no wonder I didn't see you. Anyways… I just wanted some time outside to think."

She raised her cup to take a sip of water.

"You must think I'm a bad daughter," she said softly as she set down her glass, eyes glued to the table.

"No. I don't."

Hinata shifted on her chair, and said nothing more.

Later than evening, Sasuke lounged on the couch as Hinata began knitting again—this time, a pair of mittens. Based on the lavender colour and the size, the pair seemed to be for herself. A horror movie played in the background at low volume.

"I don't really like horror movies," Hinata mentioned suddenly, wincing at the jump scare. She readjusted her needles in her hands.

"We don't have to keep watching."

"No, it seems like it's almost over," Hinata squinted slightly at the dark imagery on the screen.

The corner of Sasuke's lip twitched as he side glanced at her. "There's a lot scarier that you've seen. In person."

"I know, i-it's just I don't like ghosts and… that sort of thing," she murmured the last bit and ducked her head, focusing on her knitting.

Sasuke remained unperturbed by the events in the movie, watching as the ghost of an old woman grabbed a small child and dragged him into the closet. The screen went black, and the credits began to roll.

Beside him, Hinata had placed her knitting utensils on the coffee table, as well as the half complete pair of mittens. Her knees were drawn to her chest, chin tucked between them. Her eyes were downcast, almost sleepily, and she hugged her legs to herself.

"You asked me why I left," she breathed suddenly, turning her head away from him, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair.

Her body seemed frigid—she almost seemed to be trembling.

"And I left"— she swallowed. "I left behind being heiress. Just like you s-said."

Sasuke pivoted himself slightly to face her better, bringing one arm to rest lazily on the back of the couch. She still wouldn't look at him.

"You're… You know you're important to me too, right?"

"Yes." He said, without hesitation. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering why she kept going back and forth between confiding and him, and hiding from him.

"It's just"— Hinata choked on the word. "It's just so easy to forget. And when you came here, at first I was so sh-shaken by the memories but… you're so different than how I remember. And… and I've just been _happy_ but"—

She swallowed audibly.

"But you brought _everything back_ … Sasuke."

She finally cocked her head towards him. Her pearl eyes gleamed, but no tears fell.

"You brought back everything I was… trying to f-forget. And it's not because… I don't love my family… or because I d-don't have pride in m-my clan. I just"—

She buried her face in her arms.

"I just _couldn't do it."_

* * *

Watching his son reminded Naruto of himself.

He would be turning five soon. Ryuu waddled through the snow and laughed boisterously as he plopped into a mound of snow. He resembled Naruto in every way—Bright blonde hair peeked from beneath the toque that Sakura and shoved over his head and faint, whisker-like birth marks were on either cheek. The only striking difference were those bright emerald eyes that were wholly his mothers, as well as the intelligence and natural ability that Naruto always wished he had.

"Ryuu, ten minutes," Naruto called from where he sat on the park bench. He stretched his arms over his head, leaning back as he peered up at the sky.

He had been playing with Ryuu almost all morning, having taken advantage of the first day off in what seemed like forever. It was the Monday after Valentine's Day weekend, and most people had fallen into their usual weekday routines. Naruto, however, had managed to slip away from his duties as Hokage for a day to spend with his son. Sakura would have liked to be with them, but the hospital was too busy to stay out all day.

It would be the third Valentine's Day that they spent apart.

"Dad. Daaaaad."

Naruto was almost startled by the boy's face being so close to his. His son had climbed onto the park bench and was standing on the seat next to him, one hand bracing the back of the bench for support as he stood. He looked his father dead in the eye.

"I want to visit uncle Kiba." The boy announced.

Naruto sighed. "Maybe next time. He's on a mission right now."

The boy pouted. "I haven't seen uncle Kiba in _so_ long."

Naruto laughed, poking Ryuu in the stomach. "We saw uncle Kiba at Christmas, remember?"

" _No_. He was on a mission back then, too!"

Naruto blinked, then ran his fingers through his tousled blonde hair. "Wow. You're right. Ah, well, I'll let Kiba know you wanna see him. We can make plans."

"He came to our house before Christmas," Ryuu mentioned, plopping down on the bench. He idly began packing snow with his mitts, not looking at his father as he spoke. "You were both acting funny."

The Hokage cocked his head to the side, giving his son an odd look. "Huh?"

"Remember! You were talking about someone. A lady. You both seemed sad."

It took a few moments, but the Hokage's confused expression cleared as realization reached him. Ryuu had overheard their conversation about Hinata. "Yeah. You remember… Your mom and I told you once about your Aunt Hinata?"

"Sorta."

"Well…" Naruto paused, wearily running his hands through his tousled blonde hair in a stressed motion, "She was a good friend of mine. Of your mom's." Another pause ensued, and he took in a sharp breath. "She decided a long time ago to leave Konoha."

"Oh," Ryuu said, face scrunching. Evidently, he was unable to make sense of the meaning behind his father's short summary of events. "Why?"

Naruto sighed, patting his son's toque-clad head fondly. "Everyone has their own reasons for doing things."

"I guess," Ryuu said with a shrug. He cupped his hands and shoveled up some snow. His mitted hands worked eagerly as he squished the snow into a sphere. He dropped it on the snow in front of him and plopped down, idly rolling the ball back and forth. The snow packed into an ovular shape. Dismay was evident on his face, and he began forcefully molding the snow into a ball once again. "Inuzuka Kana-chan told me her brother got to go on a mission."

"Oh really."

"Yep! Her brother is a puppy. It's so weird."

"Huh?" This caught Naruto's attention. He racked his memory. "What mission is this?"

Ryuu grinned, pleased to have caught his father's attention. "Hunting! It's no fair— _we_ don't get to go on any missions."

 _Hunting mission? For a puppy?_

His office work had been piling up, and approving missions was just one of many redundant duties that he had to do. That month, missions were scarce and many ninjas were on vacation or just bored from having nothing to do. And in particular, younger, inexperienced ninjas would never get assigned any sort of hunting mission.

He would have remembered if he assigned a mission to one of the Inuzuka ninken. For _sure_.

Suddenly, it dawned on him.

"Ryuu, we gotta go. Let's pop by the Inuzuka compound. Uncle Kiba should be home for a quick visit."

* * *

"I'm ready to tell you," Hinata spoke, barely above a whisper.

The movie that had been playing in the background was long over. The credits were nearly finished rolling, and although the television had been set to a moderate volume, its noise had faded in Sasuke's ears, and all he could articulate was Hinata's voice.

"It was my birthday. Which… you might know already, was the night I left."

In honesty, the exact memory had faded over the years that she had spent away, but she remembered a few things far too clearly. That evening had been the evening of her birthday. The Hyuga Clan was having a dinner to celebrate, as they did for both Hinata and Hanabi's birthday. She had opted to wear what she silently considered to be her favorite attire—a white blouse and matching skirt. She remembered standing in front of her full-length mirror, touching the ends of her hair with her fingertips. She remembered thinking to herself that growing her hair had redefined her. It redefined her as a person, redefined her newfound consciousness—it had led her to become what her clan could finally consider worthy.

She remembered her father coming to her room, something he had never done. The exact conversation was difficult to recall. He had spoken earnestly, tone unreadable but with the barest hint of warmth that he had only began to develop. Something had changed in Hiashi's cold demeanor since Hinata began to blossom into a deserving heiress. Suddenly his steps were lighter, his voice softer—he seemed almost at ease.

The clan had felt the repercussions of this change. It seemed that the gloom of the Hyuga compound—remnant of the tragedies that occurred with her uncle and her mother—was slowly being lifted.

He had come to tell her something important. He had been pleased with the news—eager to share with her, for once. Hinata remembered that he asked her to take a seat, and she remembered thinking that it was the first time her father had chosen to confide in her for anything.

But the moment of joy was fleeting, as his news hit her hard.

"I've found a suitor for your sister."

Hinata could no longer recall the face or name of the suitor that her father spoke of, but she remembered the sickening twist she felt in her stomach. She remembered the dizziness she felt, the horror that shook her to her bones. The man—if only she could remember his name—she recognized that he was significantly older than Hanabi. He was wealthy, and resided in Takigakure, a significant distance from Konoha. Hinata had recalled his name and face from an event the Hyuga had hosted just months before. He was a _slimy_ man to say the least. Every gesture of his made her feel uneasy and untrusting. She had strained, at the time, for a memory of the man and her father ever exchanging words, though could think of none.

She had never heard of the Hyuga marrying off a daughter of the main house. Perhaps Hinata simply was not apt in the extensive history of the clan's traditions, but in the very least she _never_ anticipated such a thing was possible. The secrets of the Byakugan, the purity of their bloodline—these were always the two sole priorities of the clan. Nothing else mattered.

Except now, money. Security. With the shinobi world at peace, there was little to drive the competitive economy that existed between clans. Clans resorted to funding through other means. The Inuzuka ran a successful veterinary practice, the Yamanakas ran a flower shop, but the Hyuga? The clan was far too proud to resort to common means of funding. The elders never considered the service industry an appropriate trade. And, at some point, without Hinata's knowledge, they would marry off their valuable daughters in order to inherit a dowry, network with other wealthy clans, and protect their ancient aristocracy.

In very few words, her father had plainly explained the motive behind the engagement to her.

Although she had been reeling in horror, none of it showed.

Hinata was remarkably composed—unreadable, even. She had done nothing but nod firmly once her father had finished his explanation. Just as she had been training—just as she had been taught.

Her father wore the barest of smiles before dismissing himself.

The remainder of the evening was a bleak memory. Hinata knew she had continued getting ready, but in an almost catatonic state. She had barely managed to speak a handful of words during dinner. She could not recall if anyone seemed to pick up on her odd behavior. But she did remember her sister.

Hanabi.

She had been smiling, laughing, actually _enjoying_ the company of their cousins, even poking fun at a few of their elders. Whenever she caught her younger sister's eye, Hanabi's smile only seemed to widen.

Their relationship had improved so much. They had gone from being rivals to being _sisters._ When Hinata regained her position as heiress, Hanabi was more than happy to be relieved of the pressure. Finally she would be free to pursue whatever life she wanted for herself. And Hinata wanted that for her younger sister. Hinata had dedicated herself so fully to being heiress because there was no other life she felt she could lead. Naruto was long since promised to Sakura, and Hinata wanted to improve Hyuga. She wanted to _save_ the Hyuga from their own corrupt history.

And yet, her becoming clan head would result in another irrevocable tragedy. To be inflicted on her younger sister, nonetheless. The younger sister that spent years of grueling training because for the longest time, it seemed that Hinata would be unfit as clan head.

And despite those years spent training for naught, Hanabi still considered Hinata faultless, for she was finally able to _let go_.

By the end of dinner, Hinata realized that she could not be clan leader.

She could not be anything that existed in Konoha.

She relayed visiting Neji's grave. She had collapsed then, crying. She remembered frantically whispering to him what her father had said, what he had planned for Hanabi. She remembered saying that no matter how hard she tried to be a positive presence, she would only ever bring about tragedy. She remembered asking him what to do, where to go. And she remembered deciding in that moment that she would travel to the brim of Fire Country, where only small, civilian villages existed.

And then Naruto appeared behind her.

She remembered thinking— _this is a test_. She turned to face him regardless. She wondered if he saw her crying—surely he had noticed it in her quavering voice. They had a brief conversation. She couldn't remember exactly what about. But she remembered excusing herself as soon as she found an opening. She had bid him goodnight, brushed by him, back toward the Hyuga compound.

She collected only a few things she held dear before disappearing.

It was difficult—impossible even—to think of the clan since then.

She avoided thinking of it. She knew—she _knew_ —that her clan would not know the reason behind her leaving. She knew her father would never know her true feelings about Hanabi's arrangement.

It was likely that the arrangement was never announced, as they would immediately have needed to fill Hinata's position as heiress.

She had been plagued with nightmares of this night, and nightmares of her bedridden father, and hateful sister.

It hurt. It burned her to know that she had been the catalyst for so much pain. When she was training to heiress, she swore to herself every day that the Hyuga clan would be changed for the better. That all the dysfunctional and unethical practices would be terminated, that the clan would learn to thrive together in the best interests of their people, not of their reputation. She wanted to bring together the branch and main house, forbid any further use of the cursed seal—rid the clan of it, if possible. For her uncle Hizashi, for her beloved cousin, Neji.

But none of what she desired for the clan could have been realized. Regardless of who stood at the head of the table, the elders ultimately made the final decisions. And their final decisions were always produced to protect the Hyuga name. The Hyuga _way_.

Hinata realized that regardless of whether she stayed or left, the outcome was the same. But the ultimate fact was her existence alone as heiress would doom her sister to a lifetime of unhappiness with a stranger she did not know. A stranger who, similar to their elders, cared more about her birthright than her as a human being.

Hanabi would ultimately be happier if she could at least stay in Konoha.

She could at least maybe choose her own partner, if she chose to take one at all. Or rather, if the elders saw it fit. But at least Hanabi could be _home_.

And maybe, _maybe_ Hanabi could be the one to change the Hyuga.

But it was not Hinata's destiny. It could _not_ be.

And even if it had been Hinata's path, Hinata preferred to defy it rather than condemn her own little sister.

Hinata closed her eyes tightly for a moment, grounding herself with a sharp inhale before meeting Sasuke's steely eyes.

Her throat ached from speaking, though she had maintained low, soft tones throughout her story it still burned to talk. She left out no details. For the first time in perhaps in her entire life she spoke without holding back anything. She could feel the weight of her secrecy slowly being relieved. She felt the vice grip around her heart loosen. It had been years— _years_ since she had so fully and willingly relived what she had deemed to be the worst night of her life. And finally, she had shared her burden. And in that moment, consequentially, she realized who Sasuke truly was to her.

He did not move right away. He moved slowly—almost hesitantly—toward her. She could not read his expression—she wasn't trying to. She was rooted to her spot, still as stone. Sasuke raised his hand toward her. A cold chill swept over her skin as she felt his hand grasp the back of her head. Gently he guided her head towards his.

A coil in her stomach tightened in trepidation as their foreheads touched gently. Their noses brushed, only slightly. She could feel his hot breath against her lips. She squeezed her eyes shut—it was then she realized she had been crying.

For the first time since then, she was truly crying. It brought back a feeling of vulnerability that she had not felt since she was a mere teen.

He drew away, and studied her expression for a few moments. He produced a box of tissues—it had been sitting on the coffee table—and he held it out to her. She took a sheet, dabbing at her face.

For a moment, she was embarrassed—had she even made any sense?

His next words shook her.

"You should tell her that."

She looked up at him with disbelief. But as soon as their eyes met again, she could almost sense his own emotions through his stare. Although he maintained his expression, in his eyes she could see how he felt—how his own life and experiences were charging his words.

"You should tell her exactly that."

* * *

To be continued

* * *

 **Note:** Let me know your thoughts!


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